Her Boyfriend Is A Cop
by LornaCat
Summary: Juliet is leaving her job as medical examiner for the LAPD. On her last day, James asks her out, and that's when their love story begins. AU based on the James and Miles as cops dynamic in the sideways timeline, very M.
1. Juliet's Last Day

_I'm still working on _The Women In His Life, _but I really really really needed to write some sappy, sexy, cutesy fluff for these two. __So this is some AU/alt timeline Suliet fluff - a__lt timeline because James and Miles are cops, AU because Juliet never went to the island and lives in LA with Rachel; any other differences are explained in the story! I'll just say that Edmund still exists in this timeline, and no one should be happy about it. :D _

_Rated M for language (Miles is a potty mouth) (and so am I) and also for some Suliet lovin' in later chapters. :)_

* * *

Her Boyfriend Is A Cop

* * *

"Hey." said Miles, a severe and sudden blip on James' mental radar. Miles liked to greet him that way when James had his head buried in paperwork. He called it his afternoon wakeup.

"Hey." James grumbled back. He didn't look up. He was too busy furrowing his eyebrows and using his pointer fingers to search out letters on his computer's keyboard.

"You should have taken that touch-typing class." Miles said nonchalantly, as if he didn't know exactly how much it would rile him up.

"Is that so?" James murmured, not taking the bait.

"Yeah, you definitely should have taken that touch-typing class." said Miles. He sat on the edge of his partner's desk, reaching over to turn the monitor so he could get a better look at what James was typing up. "You misspelled 'suspect', by the way." he said, putting a finger print on the screen.

James sighed harshly, hitting the backspace key a few times. "You need somethin', Sally?" he asked, knowing Miles would sit there bugging him all night until he got some attention.

"Who, me?" Miles asked innocently. "Oh, I just thought you should know it's Juliet's last day."

That made James looked up from his keyboard. The furrow in his brow remained, but it changed from frustration to one of light surprise. "Burke's leavin'? Why?"

"How should I know? I didn't know she was leaving either, 'til Abbadon told me just now."

Now the brow furrow included a healthy dose of skepticism.

"Abbadon told you." said James, a statement that implied he believed the opposite. The Lieutenant wasn't exactly in the habit of sharing anything with Miles Straume.

"Okay, I happened to be standing next to Jenkins' desk when Abbadon told Jenkins."

"That sounds more like reality." said James. "And why did Abbadon feel the burning need to tell Jenkins that everyone's favorite medical examiner was gettin' the hell outta Dodge?"

"He was telling Jenkins that he should ask Juliet out before she leaves."

"Uh huh..."

"Yeah. So I thought I'd undermine the Lieutenant's authority and tell you to ask her out before Jenkins got the chance."

"I thought she didn't date cops?" James wondered, even though he found himself pushing his chair back and standing up.

"It's not that she doesn't date cops - she just doesn't date _me_. I'm sure she'll make an exception for a scruffy Ken doll like yourself."

"Gee, Miles, maybe I should be askin' _you_ out."

"I do you a favor and you repay me with sarcasm. I thought we were friends?"

James smiled smugly, but his smile disappeared when he glanced down at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. He really should have taken that touch-typing class...

"Leave it." Miles told him. "Getting laid will help you finish it later."

"Who knew you were such a romantic?" James said snidely as he left the squad room. He said thanks by patting Miles hard on the shoulder as he rounded the desk.

"You're welcome!" Miles called after him.

* * *

James punched the last button on the elevator, which took him down to the basement. When the doors opened he could hear the muffled sounds of a party coming from the morgue area. He took a few strong steps in the direction of the sound, before stopping abruptly in the hallway. He turned and, in the morgue window backed by blinds and made into a useable mirror by the harsh flourescent bulbs above, made sure he looked alright. _Could be worse, _he thought, straightening his back and squaring his shoulders.

He wasn't the only cop in the precinct that had his eye on Juliet. She was a real cutie, and damn fun to flirt with if you had a cause of death to discuss. The smell of the morgue wasn't so bad when you had Dr. Burke to look at, especially when you were close enough to smell her perfume. They'd met for the first time on her first day as assistant medical examiner, and he'd taken a liking to her instantly. The ME's often received the same treatment as a weatherman; if the news was good, everything was fine and dandy. If an officer didn't get the result he'd been looking for, it was all their fault. She hadn't taken any guff from the mostly male cops that worked upstairs in the homicide and vice units. After seeing that, James didn't give any, and a bond of mutual respect was formed. The fact that she was drop dead gorgeous in a lab coat and safety goggles didn't hurt either.

James arrived at the morgue entrance, and like the trained detective he was, he quickly took in the details available to him at first sight. There was a cake on one of the steel gurneys, though two thirds of it was already gone, leaving only the "-ss you" and "-et" of the farewell message written in frosting. There were about twenty people in the room, split into groups of twos, threes and fours, smiling and chatting as they ate from paper plates. Finally his eyes came to rest on the only blonde in the room. She was in her lab coat as usual, and James realized he'd never seen her out of it. He watched her smile, eyes sparkling as she laughed with her friends, and he couldn't help but imagine her wearing _only_ the lab coat...

Across the room, Juliet was listening patiently to a coworker's story when Amelia came up behind her. "Look who came to say goodbye." the older woman said suggestively, speaking quietly so only Juliet could hear her. Without looking at Amelia, Juliet turned her eyes to the door and she got a nice little shot of adrenaline when she saw who it was. Juliet and Amelia discussed Detective Ford frequently, using words like _hot, yummy, _and the phrase _I'd like to, _which was often followed by acts that might be deemed inappropriate for the workplace. The way he looked today justified each and every one of their conversations. His dark blue t-shirt fit snugly over his chest and around his biceps, accentuated by the leather holster strapped to his shoulders, and his relaxed, worn-in jeans looked sexy slouched over his heavy-duty work boots. When they made eye contact, he smiled and his dimples - _the_ dimples - appeared. It was all Juliet could do not to bite her lip and grab the gurney next to her, since her knees turned to jelly at the sight of him.

"Today might be the day..." Amelia sang under her breath. "And if you don't ask him out, I will!"

Juliet stifled a laugh and waved shyly at James, returning his smile. He took it as an invitation to saunter over. Amelia found a way to distract the storytelling coworker, leading him away from Juliet so she and James could have a moment.

"Please, say it ain't so." James said when he got close. It made Juliet smile again.

"I'm afraid it is." she said wistfully.

"You should have said something sooner; I would have convinced you to stay."

"You stopped bringing me dead bodies, Ford. I thought the love affair was over."

"Nah, that was just the crime rate droppin' for the first time in two decades."

"Well that's all well and good for the citizens of LA county, but what am I supposed to do when there's no paperwork to catch up on?"

"If you want I can give you some of mine, I got a few weeks' worth upstairs..."

Juliet laughed. "No, thank you." she said jokingly. Her next words were sincere. "Sorry I didn't say anything, I didn't want to make that big a deal out of it. I just assumed everyone knew."

James shrugged, still smiling that sexy, confident smile of his. "I should have figured it out. I'm a detective, after all."

"That's what they keep telling me." Juliet said, reaching out to touch the badge that hung from a chain around his neck. "I still think you bought this from Toys R Us."

James got his own shot of adrenaline as Juliet's fingertips brushed his chest. She turned the badge over in her hands, feeling the weight and inspecting it's surface. It was a surprisingly bold maneuver for Juliet. They'd flirted before, but they'd never shared personal space like this. James decided in that moment that if Juliet was already taken, there was no god.

While James was daydreaming about grabbing Juliet's wrist, pulling her to him and kissing her over the nearest gurney, Juliet was imagining what it would be like to rake her fingernails over his chest, wrap her legs around him and-

"Juliet!" someone called to her from across the room. They both glanced in that direction, neither wanting to leave the conversation so soon. Juliet let the badge go, placing it back gently against his body.

"I don't wanna keep ya," said James, though it wasn't exactly true. Juliet was about to fall all over herself assuring him he could keep her as long as he wanted when he finally worked up the courage to ask her out. "I was just wondering if I could take you out to dinner sometime."

Juliet smiled immediately, and the word _Yes!_ rang in her mind like an old Herbal Essences commercial. "I'd like that." she said, understating it so she could maintain her cool exterior.

"So would I." said James as the dimples appeared again.

* * *

Miles looked up from his own, shorter stack of paperwork when James returned to his desk, the desk that faced Miles'. He noticed right away James' step was lighter than when he'd left.

"I hate you." Miles said casually.

"Aren'tcha gonna ask how it went?" James said sarcastically as he took a seat.

"And now he's gloating." Miles muttered. He hit print and sat back in his chair. "Just promise me you'll name your first child after me? At least then I'll be able to say 'Miles has been inside Juliet'."

"You had your chance, Straume." said James, after which he gave Miles an exaggerated smile. "And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me mine."

"Ehhh, start typing, old man. We'll see who's gloating when I'm sipping a beer at home and you're still here, hunting and pecking 'til the wee hours of the morning."

James chuckled, letting out a ridiculously happy sigh as he got back to work.

* * *

Miles always knew exactly how late James got home. They were roommates. Sure enough, Miles was lounging on the couch with the TV on, already on his second beer when James finally arrived, only far less grumpy than usual.

"Huh." Miles said with mock curiosity. "You're not on the verge of tears or a temper tantrum. Does Detective Ford finally have something to live for other than sucking the Lieutenant's cock at every staff meeting?"

"Me-ow." James taunted him, tossing his badge and holstered Glock on the kitchen counter and going straight for the Coronas in the fridge. "Do I need to buy you a scratching post?" He knew Miles wasn't really that bitter about it. Envious maybe, but he didn't know a cop who wouldn't be. Juliet was at the top of everyone's list, and considering the 'I don't date cops' policy was a common one among women at the precinct, it felt like he'd won the lottery. Miles had an obligation to give him shit for it on behalf of every other guy they worked with.

"Sooo, when's the date?" asked Miles, adopting a gossipy tone. "Where you taking her, what are you going to wearrr?"

"Tomorrow night, somewhere Italian, and I have no idea." said James, answering the questions in order. He opened his beer on the counter, catching the bottle cap in his hand and throwing it in the garbage can across the room. James then walked back to the living room, sat next to Miles and kicked off his boots so he could put his feet up on the coffee table and check out the last few minutes of the Thursday night primetime lineup.

"Should I stay out later than usual?" Miles asked, his voice back to normal.

"I don't know," said James. "You really think I'll get lucky on the first date?"

"No." Miles answered immediately. "She'll reject you. I just wanted to give your sorry ass a little boost of confidence so you don't back out entirely."

"Thanks, buddy." said James, lifting his bottle up in the air.

"Any time." said Miles, tapping his bottle against the other.

* * *

_The nickname Sally was brought to you today by The Dick Van Dyke Show. hehe. I was watching 1x04, in which Rob and Laura Petrie discuss the fact that Sally can't get a date because, according to Rob, "She's too quick with the answers. Guys hate girls that make jokes about everything". _

_Also, I've always had this image of her sitting on Rob's desk, so there's that too. Thanks for reading. :)_


	2. First Date

_Don't worry anonymous reviewer, the M will come into play soon enough! _

_...Not in this chapter, but soon... :P_

* * *

The next day felt like it might last forever, but Friday night finally arrived, and James managed to escape the shackles of work in time to get ready for his date with Juliet. It was early summer, still cool enough for comfort but warm enough after sundown so the women didn't need to wear their jackets or sweaters. James was glad he lived in a climate that made that possible, but never more than when he spotted Juliet outside the restaurant. Her long, wavy blonde hair, normally tied back in a ponytail or with a barrette, had been straightened and was loose over her shoulders, shoulders that were bare thanks to the strapless black dress she was wearing. The tiny gem hanging from her necklace sparkled in the city lights, calling attention to the pale skin on her chest, drawing his eye downward as he took in the sight of her. Her dress fit her waist and hips perfectly, hugging her curves until the fabric ended abruptly at mid-thigh. Her legs went on for days after that, shaped and elevated by a pair of black heels that made James feel like he had to catch his breath. His eyes traveled back up slowly. He took his time, knowing the view would be even better once he got close enough to see her eyes. She turned to look for him. When her eyes found him she gave him the same shy wave and smile she'd given him in the morgue, and he wondered if he wasn't in love with her already.

"Doctor." he greeted her with mock politeness as he reached her.

"Detective." she said, matching his smile. _Yummy_ was the word of the night, Juliet decided. She went weak for the t-shirt and holster look, but the casual suit also did wonders for him. His hair had only gotten longer since she'd known him, and she always wondered what it would look like if he didn't keep it slicked back. They turned to enter the restaurant, and though Juliet went for the door before James could open it for her, he still came in close beside her, holding the heavy door at a spot just above her head. He leaned in as she passed, and lowered his voice.

"So that's what you wear under that lab coat." he murmured right into her ear. She felt flushed, and was grateful the restaurant lighting was dim. She felt the goosebumps all over her body.

* * *

The waiter took their drink orders, leaving James and Juliet to pore over the gigantic menus. After a few seconds, James peeked over the top of his menu and watched Juliet scan the words with her bright blue eyes. She had eyeliner on, and it made her eyes pop even more than they did naturally. Suddenly those eyes were looking back at James. Catching him looking at her put a big smile on her face, and they both looked back at their menus.

"Thanks for comin' out tonight." said James, using his voice before he lost it completely.

"Thanks for finally asking me to." said Juliet, fighting to keep her coy smile from turning into a goofy grin.

"'Finally', huh?" said James, a pleasant realization settling in as he set his menu down on the table. "You mean we could have been doin' this all along?"

Juliet made the mistake of looking up from her menu. She found James staring at her, gracing her with that sexy smirk of his. She opened her mouth to say something clever, but she found herself at a loss. They'd basically admitted they'd been interested each other since they'd met, and it was becoming clear that interest could easily be translated to lust. Juliet had no idea what she did to him, what thoughts the mere sight of her sitting across from him, lips parted with no words to push from them, put in his mind. She was saved only by the return of the waiter with their drinks. By the time they told him what they wanted to eat, the subject was politely forgotten. They took their first sips of wine, and James got the conversation going again.

"Now, I know you didn't get all dolled up just to come here and talk about work, but I gotta ask: what made you decide to leave the ME's office?"

"Um, actually...I'm trying to get back into research. So I'm sort of going back to school." Juliet replied sheepishly, as if she might be revealing herself as too much of a nerd. "I guess eight years just wasn't enough." she cracked.

"Hot damn, woman." said James, impressed. "I didn't even make it through four years of high school." Juliet was taking another sip of wine when he said it, and she was already so close to having the giggles that she almost choked when she laughed at his jokey confession. "Careful, now." he said playfully. Juliet rolled her eyes, mostly at herself, as she set down her wine glass and lifted her napkin to her lips. "Well," James continued. "I'm probably not the first to say it, and I know I won't be the last, but I'm sure gonna miss seein' you in The Dungeon."

Setting her napkin down, Juliet smiled with a mixture of gratitude and sadness. She hadn't realized the impact she had on the office until she'd announced her departure a few weeks before. Ever since then she'd been showered with well wishes and people begging her to stay.

"I'm going to miss it too." she said. "I'll miss the people, at least. The live ones."

"Finally had enough of the corpses?"

"Yeah." Juliet said slowly, really thinking about it. "I always thought it would be rewarding to go into forensic pathology. You know, justice for the victims, speaking for those who can no longer speak for themselves and all that." she added, almost cynical in her self-deprecation. "I guess I realized that I don't want to be around death all the time. Or I'm just a big wuss that can't handle the reality of a tough job." Juliet shrugged and flashed a wry smile. "Whichever."

"No, I getcha." said James. He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table so he could be closer to her. "Our jobs ain't easy." he admitted. He watched her lips curve into a smile as he looked into her eyes. Her gaze flicked away from his for a moment, and her hand went to her necklace, repositioning it absent-mindedly, as if his sudden closeness made her uncomfortable. James found it incredibly sexy that a woman who cleaned up as well as she did could still be shy about it. He wondered what she was thinking about.

"So..." said Juliet. She picked up her glass of wine so she could hide behind it while she took a sip. "What made you want to be a cop?" she asked him.

At this, James hesitated. He never gave the real answer to anyone that asked, especially not to the women he dated. For the first time however, he thought it would feel like lying to tell anything other than the truth.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Juliet said suddenly, putting down her glass and waving her hand dismissively. "I bet you get asked that question a lot. Like you said, we didn't come here to discuss work."

James, temporarily distracted by the arrival of the busboy, leaned back in his chair so the young man could put their appetizer on the table between them. "I'll tell you about it sometime." James said to Juliet, and he truly hoped he could keep that promise.

* * *

Hours later, after a luxuriously long meal and conversation, they decided to call it a night. There was only so much one could do to stall after the bill was paid.

"I'll walk you to your car." James offered as they stood. He caught a flash of her thighs over the table - her dress came up that high on her long legs - and he nearly growled at the sight of it. "I almost forgot how short that skirt was." he said without thinking. Juliet turned her head to look at him, shocked in a most pleasant way to hear it. He sounded hungry. After seeing her reaction he seemed to realize what he'd said, but his embarrassment very quickly gave way to a _What did you expect? _tilt of the head, complete with an eyebrow raise. Juliet pressed her lips together but she couldn't fight the grin that took over after that.

They got to her car, and Juliet lingered outside of it, wishing she had it in her to go further than this on the first date. It would have been so easy to invite him home, or invite herself over to his place. She knew he wouldn't refuse her, no matter where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do. She could tell by the way he looked at her, even while he tried to hide the fact that he was looking. It was that reserve that made her want him even more.

"I had fun tonight." she said softly, turning to face James. She stood in front of the driver side door, and she found him standing very close behind her.

"Me too." he said, his voice low enough to make her blood pump a little harder.

"We should do this again sometime." Juliet suggested. He smiled.

"I was hopin' you'd say that." he replied. Adrenaline kicked in again when Juliet saw his hand reaching for the strand of hair that rested against her cheek. He tucked it behind her ear, moving slowly, giving her every chance to stop him. Juliet didn't say a word. She had her hands in front of her, clutching her pocketbook like a life preserver. She stared at his mouth, and her bottom lip parted just barely from the top, a tiny signal for him to keep going. He leaned in, kissing her very softly, as if he just needed a taste of her lips. The hand that had so tenderly placed her hair behind her ear now rested gently behind her head, not pushing, just holding. Juliet pushed herself upward on her toes, pressing her lips harder against his. _I'll blame it on the wine_, she thought, as she let go of her purse with one hand so she could wrap both arms around his neck and squeeze. They both instinctively opened their mouths to let each other in, and Juliet's tongue lapped at his before he had the chance to do the same to her. Juliet felt like she was melting as James shifted his weight, using his arm to hold her to him tightly. His other hand curved around her neck, his tongue was in her mouth, and then hers was in his, she was getting dizzy and she didn't want to stop and think about it. It had been so long since it felt right to make out with a hot guy in public.

It was all James could do not to grab her ass, lift her up and put her legs around him right there in the parking lot. _This is Juliet_, he thought. _She might not be ready for that. Don't ruin it before it even starts... _He concentrated on her mouth, but there came a point where he couldn't take it anymore, not when he heard the soft little moan escape her throat. Their lips smacked as he pulled his head back, and he stared down at her mouth, still barely inches from his.

"I meant to say good night." he murmured. Juliet let out a shaky laugh, bowing her head. She knew why he'd broken off their kiss. She may not have been on a proper date in years, but she knew she shouldn't tease if she wasn't going to put out. She was happy that he had respect enough for her to stop now, before she dragged him into the backseat of her car. Little did he know how badly she wanted to do _that._ But he'd been right; she wasn't ready for that, and she knew it. There was too much at stake now - they really liked each other.

"You free tomorrow night?" James murmured, lowering his head to plant a cooler, sweeter kiss on her lips. The words of a man that was free and not afraid to show he was interested; Juliet melted again.

"Yeah." Juliet whispered against his lips. They kissed one last time, and then James used all of his mental strength to release her and take a slow step backward. The smile on his face looked so relaxed and happy.

"Lady's choice." he said, walking backwards toward his own car.

"Dinner at your place?" she asked him.

"If that's what you want, that's what we'll do." James said matter-of-factly. "What do you want to eat?"

"I'll bring the pizza if you supply the beer?" she said. The offer nearly brought him to his knees, and the little twinkle in her eye told him she'd known that it would.

"Pick a movie and it's a date." he said.

Juliet smiled, glad for one last look at his dimples before they went their separate ways. "I'll surprise you." she said.

_You already have, Blondie._

"G'night, Juliet." he called out from ten paces away.

"Good night, James." Juliet answered him.


	3. Sweet Dreams

Juliet turned the key in the front door slowly so she wouldn't startle her sleeping roommate. Once inside, Juliet kicked off her heels and padded silently down the hallway. It wasn't that late, but Rachel seemed to need a lot of rest these days. Juliet wasn't happy about Rachel's deteriorating health, but she was glad they lived together again. Leaving her husband had been a big, scary step for Juliet, and Rachel was glad to have the company.

"Rachel? Are you awake?" Juliet whispered as she opened the door to Rachel's bedroom. Rachel stirred, lifting her head and squinting into the shaft of light that shone in from the hallway.

"I am now." she said groggily.

"Sorry." Juliet said sheepishly, tip-toeing over to the bed. She laid down next to her sister, barefoot but still in her dress.

"It's okay." said Rachel, turning onto her side so she could face Juliet. She smiled sleepily, not at all upset. She'd told Juliet to wake her the minute she got home. Her eyes adjusted to the new light, and she could see the telltale look on Juliet's face. "Wow, you look happy." Rachel said suggestively.

Juliet grinned, still high on the kiss. "I made out with him." she confessed, covering her face with her hands after she said it.

Rachel gasped slowly, feigning shock. "You little slut." she teased.

"No!" Juliet protested weakly, though she was giggling. "I couldn't help it, Rach."

"Mmhm." Rachel murmured, still teasing. "I told you that dress would put you both in the mood." Her eyelids drooped, still so heavy, but she wanted to hear the story. "Tell me exactly how it happened. From the beginning."

* * *

"OWNED!" Miles shouted just as James opened the door to their apartment. He was in his pajamas, standing in front of the couch, arms raised in victory with a game controller in his right hand. He froze, having just noticed James there at the door. He lowered his arms, raising his eyebrows instead. "Back so soon?" he said with mild surprise, only calling attention to his embarrassment by being so nice. "How'd it go?"

"It was..." James said, trying to think of something other than Juliet's mouth for the two seconds necessary to find an appropriate adjective. "...nice." he finished simply, still distracted. Miles could tell immediately that something was up, and not just from the uncharacteristic upturn in James' voice when he said the word 'nice'. Usually James had no trouble talking about his dates. Whether they went well or horribly wrong, he'd always start by describing in intimate detail what the girl was wearing, how she acted, how long it took them to get on the subject of sex...

"Great, huh?" Miles asked, skeptical. "The way you said that makes it sound like she stood you up."

"It was a good date, alright?" James said defensively, going to the fridge solely out of habit. He realized after he opened it that he didn't really want a beer, so he closed the door and walked back toward the living room, standing there like he didn't know whether to sit, stand or go straight to bed.

"So tell me about it!" Miles demanded. "You know I live vicariously through you. Throw me a bone, will ya?"

James looked at Miles, and then chuckled at the expectant look Miles was giving back to him. "Miles..." he said, almost reproachful. Miles widened his eyes, still waiting. James sighed, looking around the apartment like Miles was just _killing_ him with his questions. Then he looked back at his desperate roommate, and smirked.

"...You haven't seen legs like these."

"I knew it." said Miles, sitting on the couch and motioning for James to sit across from him. "I knew she was hiding something under that lab coat. Hair up or down?"

"Down," James reported, taking a seat in the recliner. "And really straight, straighter than natural. How do they do that?"

"One of life's great mysteries, man. But back to the legs - short skirt?"

"Came up to here," said James, holding his hand up to his neck. "Strapless, too, with a pair of heels that could make a man's neck snap..."

* * *

Rachel's eyes were closed, but she was still awake and listening, smiling because Juliet was so damn happy. It had been a long time since she'd seen her this way, since either of them had something to be so giddy about.

"When are you going to see him again?" asked Rachel. There was a pause before the confession.

"...We're having dinner at his place tomorrow night."

"Jules!" Rachel scolded her playfully, struggling to open one eye. "At his place? You _are_ a slut."

Juliet grinned and bit her bottom lip. "Is it too fast?"

"I was just teasing, silly." said Rachel, reaching out and shaking Juliet's arm. "You're free now, you can sleep with as many hot guys as you want. Just be safe about it, okay?"

"Of course. Although, technically, I'm not free yet." Juliet said, losing some of her high as she thought of the man that refused to get out of her life. Rachel sighed, too tired to argue with as much passion as she felt on the topic but still obligated to go through the motions.

"You've been separated for a year." Rachel reminded her needlessly. They both knew how long it had been, and how long Edmund had been contesting the divorce.

"I know." Juliet said softly, falling deeper into thought on the subject. She was dimly aware of the big yawn that overtook Rachel. A minute later she became aware of the quiet, and of her sister's even breath. She looked over at Rachel, and found her fast asleep. "Sweet dreams." Juliet whispered, kissing Rachel's forehead before she left the bed. They both needed rest; they had appointments at the hospital in the morning.

Juliet went to her bedroom, slipped out of her dress and threw a t-shirt over her head to sleep in. In the bathroom, after taking off her makeup, she took a look at herself in the mirror while she brushed her teeth. She wondered if James would still like her this way, if he'd still want her without makeup, without the support of a bra and a dress that complimented her figure. She didn't feel young anymore. Not since Edmund started cheating on her with girls at least ten years her junior. His infidelities had given her a very strong sense of not being good enough, which is why she usually didn't bother with her appearance anymore. And yet, James, the hunk of the office, had expressed an interest. She worked with stinky, dead bodies all day, and he'd asked her on the date before he'd seen her in the dress.

_He's so cute. _thought Juliet, sighing mentally at the memories. _And funny. And hot. And sweet. And a good kisser. And I. am such. a dork._

_Quit worrying!_ Juliet could hear Rachel's voice in her head.

_You have another date tomorrow night!_ her own voice shouted. Juliet grinned around her toothbrush. She couldn't wait.

* * *

"It's not just her body that does me in, though. It's that smile. And her eyes. There's actually something behind them. You can tell she's thinkin' something."

"Unlike all those other chicks you dated." Miles said, his tone dry. "...Right?"

James barely noticed , if he heard him at all. He was staring at a point in space somewhere beyond the room, too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

"You really like her, don't you?" asked Miles.

James returned to the moment, growing self-conscious. "Yeah." he said, as if it should be obvious.

"It's cool," Miles reassured him. "Juliet's a keeper. It's just...she's obviously too good for you."

"Miles?"

"What?"

"You're an idiot. And I'm goin' to bed."

"Already? But Grandpa, it's only midnight."

"I need my rest." James said, suddenly all kinds of smug. "She's comin' over tomorrow night."

"Oh, fuck you." Miles said with exaggerated contempt.

"It's a good thing you have plans to go out drinking with the boys, huh?"

"I don't have any plans." said Miles, puzzled.

"Ya do now." James told him, smiling as he waltzed out of the living room.

* * *

In her bed, in the dark, Juliet laid on her back and stared at the ceiling. She thought about James, about their dinner, about how easy it was to talk to him and flirt with him. But mostly she thought about their kiss, and how intensely attracted to him she was. She could still feel his tongue in her mouth and his hands on her body. Maybe she was moving too fast, but what if things didn't work out? She should at least enjoy it while she had the chance, before things got too complicated.

Alone in her bed, in the dark, Juliet could imagine his hands and his tongue going all sorts of places they hadn't been yet. Her fingertips touched the skin just below her belly button, toying with the elastic band of her underwear. She briefly considered a short fantasy, something hot to send her off to dreamland. She smirked at the shadows in her bedroom; it wouldn't have been the first time she'd used James this way. Ultimately, she decided against it, curling up on her side and hugging her pillow instead. If tomorrow night went as well as she hoped it would, she'd be living out her fantasies soon enough.

* * *

James laid awake too, staring up at the ceiling with his hands clasped behind his head, thinking about Juliet. She'd stirred something deep in him, something that went beyond physical attraction. With any other girl, he'd only be thinking about how to get into her pants. After one date with Juliet, sure, he was thinking about sex - _a lot_ - but he was also trying to think of ways to impress her. He wanted to make sure she liked the real James, not just the James that everyone else got to see.

He needed someone to know him. Miles knew him pretty damn well, but when it came to the bedroom Miles just wasn't his type. For the first time in his life, James was realizing he wanted some real love in his life. He wanted someone he could let into his heart, and he was realizing that he could see himself doing that with Juliet.

* * *

_A/N: The next chapter is their second date. The next chapter is also rated M. I wonder what will happen...? :) _


	4. Dinner At His Place

_I don't even know how to intro this chapter, haha...I'll just say, if M ratings make you blush, it's time to cover your eyes! :P _

_To answer a question, no James doesn't know Juliet is technically still married...yet. Edmund shows up in the next chapter, and he might try to cause a little trouble. Key word: try. I declared this a fluffy story, after all. Fluffy of the M variety, of course. ok, I'll stop talking now. Enjoy! :) _

* * *

When James opened the door the next evening, the delicious smell of pizza hit him just as his eyes came to rest on the radiantly beautiful woman that held the box in front of her. He'd just invited heaven into his home.

"I hope you like Hawaiian." she said, smiling and opening the box a little to give him a peek of ham and pineapple.

"If it's on bread, tomato sauce and cheese, I'll eat it." he assured her, taking the box gallantly from her hands. "Come in, make yourself at home."

He couldn't help it; he checked her out as she crossed the threshold and entered his home. She was wearing a simple blue t-shirt under a short tan jacket, and a pair of blue jeans that really hugged her hips and behind, a behind that James was almost caught staring at when Juliet turned back around to face him. She flashed a cute smile his way, trying to break through the awkwardness of meeting again after experiencing such a pleasant time together the night before.

"Ah," he stammered, trying to get his thoughts back to dinner. "I got Bud and Corona." he said, walking past her to put the pizza on the coffee table before heading toward the fridge in the kitchen. "Either of those work for you?"

"I'll take a Corona." Juliet said politely.

"You want lime in yours?"

"Yes, please." she said, taking a seat on the couch. "Is Straume- I mean, is Miles here?"

"Nope." said James, smiling at her professional slip. It was hard to kick that last name habit once you picked it up. "He's out with the boys. We've got the place to ourselves." he added without thinking, like the skirt comment the previous night. When he came back from the kitchen he found Juliet still smiling at him. He wasn't sure whether she was pleased by the idea or didn't pick up on the insinuation, but it didn't matter as long as she was happy. "Take a seat, get comfortable." he insisted. "What are we watching tonight?"

"Ah." said Juliet, smiling and reaching into her bag as she sat on the couch. "Your choices are..._Shaun of the Dead_ and _Bad Boys 2._"

James smiled, cocking his head to the side as he considered those choices. "Ya know, for a gal who's getting out of the death business, you sure brought an interesting selection."

Juliet's shoulders sagged a little when she closed her eyes and chuckled.

"Not that I'm complaining, mind you." James added, handing Juliet her beer and setting two plates on the table in front of them.

"I thought you might appreciate having a choice between violent gore and gory violence."

"And I do, I do indeed." said James as he sat down beside her. "But I still leave it up to you to decide."

"I just needed some good old-fashioned escapism." Juliet admitted. "A few laughs wouldn't hurt either." The way she said it made her sound exhausted. James picked up on it, but he didn't know how to ask her why. So instead of asking, James opened the box of pizza, still hot and steaming, and served them both their dinner.

"How 'bout this." he said, handing her a plate. "We'll watch both."

"That sounds perfect." Juliet said, trading him the DVD's for some pizza.

It turned out they were both starving, and they wolfed down their pizza and beer before the plot of the first film even became clear. James stole a few glances her way, enjoying in particular the way her throat moved when she tipped her head back and chugged the last fifth of her first beer.

"You want another?" he offered.

"No, thanks." she said sweetly, turning to him distractedly until she allowed the television to draw her attention back. James wondered if she didn't like the movie; she hadn't really been laughing at any of the jokes. Then he noticed, when he glanced over at her for the zillionth time, that her eyes weren't really turned toward the TV. She was staring into space just beyond it's lower right corner, her brow beginning to furrow. He watched her stare for a good five minutes, his heart growing as he wondered what could be bothering her so much. She looked like she was watching someone dying.

"You okay?" he asked her, snapping her out of whatever deep thought she'd been trapped in. She looked over at him, not pleased with herself that she'd been caught so distracted.

"Yeah." she said easily. It was almost sad how easy it was to deny anything was wrong.

"You sure? I can stop the movie if you want...?" James offered, treading on unfamiliar ground. Inviting a woman to talk about her feelings? Miles was right, he _was _falling for her.

"No, it's..." Juliet almost said, before she looked into his eyes and realized she had a friend to talk to. _It's not fine, _thought Juliet._ Just tell him. _They let the movie play, a dissonant soundtrack to her troubles. It faded to the backs of their minds when she spoke.

"I took my sister to the hospital this morning, and we found out that her cancer is back. She's going to need treatment again, after four years of being in remission."

"Damn, Juliet. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up during our date. It's just hitting me now. It's hard...I know she can take it, that she's going to fight. But she shouldn't have to, you know?"

James watched her, listening, but Juliet was done. She didn't want to say anymore, afraid the lump in her throat would turn into an embarrassing display of emotion if she continued.

"If there's anything I can do, just let me know." James offered. The sincerity in his voice made Juliet believe he wasn't just saying it to be kind. She took a deep breath and let it out quickly. A smile, at least half of one, returned to her face.

"Can you arrest cancer for attempted murder?" she asked him.

James nodded slowly, like he was giving it some serious thought. "I think that can be arranged." he said.

Juliet laughed, a bright, spontaneous sound James loved instantly.

"Really?" she asked skeptically. "You can do that?"

"For you?" James said, offended she even had to ask. "Hell yes." he declared.

Juliet laughed again, the lump in her throat fading. She'd told him something very personal, and it felt right. It felt comfortable, and he'd even managed to cheer her up. In the silence that followed her last giggle, eye contact turned into a more intimate look.

"What?" Juliet asked softly, though she already had a good idea what he was thinking. His mouth moved in a subtle way before he spoke.

"I've been wanting to kiss you since you walked in the door." he admitted, and his gaze became a burning message of clear desire. Juliet's head tilted to the side. She was still playing coy.

"What a coincidence." she said. "I've been wanting you to kiss me since I walked in the door too."

The movie was forgotten, left playing in the background. Juliet moved first, and James met her somewhere in the middle of the couch. They started kissing, and they both felt relief in a release of tension now that they could feel each other's lips again. Before they could really get into it, Juliet abruptly pulled her head back.

"I should warn you..." she said, in a tone one might use with a matter of grave importance. "...I might have pizza breath."

James grinned and put a hand behind her head to pull her to him again. He planted a long, slow kiss on her lips, followed by another, and another, until her smiling jaw relaxed. James ran his tongue along her lips, just as soft as he remembered, beginning a slow exploration of a mouth he wanted to know a whole lot more about. Juliet's tongue crept out to meet his, curious but patient. He could feel her holding back; she wanted to attack his mouth like she'd done the night before, but what he was doing felt too good to interrupt. Taking the lead, James slid his tongue inside her mouth, gliding across her tongue, tasting her, pressing deeper. An involuntary, sighing moan came from deep inside of Juliet. It turned him on to hear her make those sounds, and it really made him want to give her the full treatment.

He pressed closer, grabbing a handful of her hair. Juliet's mouth opened wide to let him in, and she pressed back, matching him for force. The thought that he would eventually be inside of her, that she was going to let him fuck her on their second date, sent a wave of lust through her that rose like a column through the center of her body. She had to let him know she wanted more. With their mouths still attached, Juliet set her hands on his strong neck and straddled him, kissing him very deeply as she lowered herself onto his lap. She heard a growl deep in his throat, and his hands went to her thighs, squeezing her curves through her jeans. Her upper body arched toward his, speaking to him with subtle movement. _Touch me_. _I need attention_. His hands dragged upward, over her t-shirt, closing around her breasts, massaging them. She was sensitive there, and she moaned into his mouth sweetly at the feeling. Juliet copied the deep massaging motion of his hands with her pelvis, starting a slow grind on his lap that elicited a groan from James. Through two pairs of jeans she felt him harden, and his hips moved underneath her, increasing the friction.

Juliet leaned back, almost moaning in protest when his hands left her breasts for her hips, but when he grabbed her ass and pulled her body closer to his, she rubbed even harder against him and she moaned with pleasure instead. With her eyes closed she leaned toward him, hugging his neck, and his mouth wandered all over the skin on her neck and chest, kissing and licking like he was trying to find a way inside the top of her t-shirt.

"James..." Juliet sighed. He must have really liked the sound of that; his teeth grazed her, a gentle bite of her neck, and his hands squeezed her ass even harder than before. "Oh..." she said, halfway between a moan and a whimper, grabbing both sides of his face and kissing him hard on the mouth while he pushed and pulled at her hips. Another minute of that and they both felt about ready to explode.

"I want you." Juliet said out loud, pulling her shirt up over her head. Her hair came tumbling down over bare shoulders, drawing his eye to a pair of breasts that almost spilled out of her bra. She was breathing a bit harder now, stroking the sides of his clean shaven face, looking straight into his eyes when she said it again. "I want you."

"Hold on to me." James deep voice rumbled, and he kissed her again as he rose from the couch, picking Juliet up with him. She clung to his neck with her arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, testing James' ability to walk in a straight line when she attached her mouth to his earlobe and started sucking. He somehow managed to make it to his bedroom without falling over. He left the lights off and carried her over to the bed, kissing her twice on the lips as he set her down before going back to the door to close and lock it. When he turned back around, he saw her on her back, shimmying out of her jeans. Her underwear matched her bra, at least as far as he could tell in the relative darkness of the bedroom. He was more interested in the pale skin that glowed in the moon and street lights coming in the window, contrasted against the dark fabric of her lingerie. That image of her, of Juliet in his bed, undressing herself for him, would be burned into his memory for the rest of his days.

Juliet watched James, through the same soft light, pull his t-shirt over his head and walk toward her. She watched him unbutton his jeans and climb onto the bed, climbing over her. First he kissed her lips, and then set his tongue to her collarbone and the hollow of her neck, all the while pulling the straps of her bra down from her shoulders. Juliet gave another sighing moan when his tongue found the nipple on her right breast. He cupped her breast in his hand, pushing it up so he could take as much of it as he could into his mouth. He felt one of her hands in his hair, the other running down his back, her legs writhing underneath his body as he worked her into a frenzy. He gave her other breast the same treatment, enjoying the whimpers that kept escaping her throat as he did it.

He lifted himself over her. They kissed. And Juliet slipped her hand down the front of his unbuttoned, unzipped jeans and right into his boxers. James groaned when she closed her hand around him. His tongue dipped in and out of her mouth, starting and stopping the kiss unevenly, distracted almost completely by the hand feeling up and down the length of him.

"You want that inside of you?" James murmured tauntingly. He felt more than saw Juliet express her desire and consent. Her grip tightened around him, and she nodded her head for an emphatic yes. He was big, and very hard, and she most definitely wanted that inside of her.

"Touch me." she said, in case he didn't believe her. James enjoyed the way she let him know what she wanted without being bossy. Not that he didn't enjoy the occassional command or two. Juliet felt his fingertips at the top of her underwear, but he didn't slip them inside like she had to him.

"I'd rather taste you." he replied, raising his body to kneel between her legs and pull her underwear away from her hips. It wasn't just his words but the way he said them that sent another wave of lust through Juliet. She already knew she was going to enjoy it.

"Oh god..." she moaned, watching James pull her underwear down her legs. He tossed them away, and in Juliet's mind she could hear him say _Ain't gonna need these any time soon..._ He wasted no time burying his head between her legs. Juliet almost cried out, moaning loudly as he took his first hungry licks and kisses. It had been a long, long time since any man had done that for her, and he was not shy about it at all. Before long he had her panting, her hand twisted in the hair at the back of his head. "James," she panted, encouraging him, begging him, thanking him with his name. "James..." she panted, knowing she could come this way, and quick, if she stopped tensing the muscles in her thighs. "Fuck me." she moaned, the words tumbling out before the thought had finished forming. "Fuck me," she whispered when James lifted his head, moved over her and reached for the drawer in the bedside table. While he searched one-handed for the small box of condoms, Juliet ran her hands all over his chest and shoulders, kissing and licking his skin like his muscles were made of candy.

"Have I told you yet," James said, voice strained until he was finally able to grab hold of a condom and pull it out of the box. "That your mouth is amazing?" Juliet's only response was to keep kissing him, and she eventually recaptured his lips when he laid back down on top of her.  
Juliet moaned into his mouth. "So is yours." she said when she allowed him a moment to drag his pants and boxers the rest of the way off his legs. Juliet arched her back and reached behind to unclasp the bra that already lay limp around her waist. Now there would be nothing left between them but air and sweat.

James once again knelt before her between her long, beautiful legs, legs that were bent at the knee and already spread wide for him. He tore the wrapper open slowly, never taking his eyes from her, and his mouth curved into a wicked smile. "You taste good." he said. Juliet got a little lost in the eyes and the smile, but she still glanced down when he slipped the condom on. He lowered his upper body over hers, resting his weight on his forearm while his other hand disappeared between their legs. "You feel good too." James whispered in her ear, rubbing the head of his cock up and down her slit a few times before positioning himself for penetration.

Juliet whimpered and dug her fingers into the flesh on his arms as he pushed into her for the first time. She let the muscles in her legs relax, letting him in, and her whimpering turned into a loud moan. James took his precious time, allowing Juliet to adjust to his presence in that most private of places. At the same time, he also took a moment to thank his lucky stars for giving him a moaner. The soft, soothing voice she used for speaking translated to a gorgeous, throaty sound when her body needed to express that deep pleasure. He wanted to listen to her make those sounds all night. He wanted to be the only reason for them.

James bowed his head to kiss lips that now trembled, and he began to move. The hand he'd used to guide himself into her moved to her thigh, steadying her, holding her open so he could fill her completely. She responded well to that, moaning loudly, raking her fingernails down his bare chest and then around behind him, digging them into his lower back.

James made it last, switching up the speed, the intensity, the depth of his thrusts, trying anything he could to keep her breath short and her moans loud and long. Juliet moved underneath him, her hips thrusting up to meet his whenever he started doing something particularly amazing. When they weren't stuffing their tongues in each other's mouths, they took turns kissing, licking, biting and sucking anywhere else they could reach. They found they were a good match in bed, so they were able to let go completely while they pleased each other. Eventually Juliet felt herself approaching the edge, and she was ready to experience the explosive light that lay beyond it. James was going at her fast and strong, but she needed more so she asked for it.

"More." Juliet panted.

"Harder?" James said between his own panting breaths.

"Yeah..." Juliet whimpered, her jaw dropping wide open when James fulfilled her request. She cried out, and it drove James wild to know she was almost there, that he'd been the one to take her there. He tried it slow at first, and then faster, knowing he'd found the right rhythm when Juliet grabbed a handful of the bed sheets in each hand and squeezed. Juliet felt it from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. It felt better than it ever felt before, especially for a first time. It was like they were meant to be with each other this way; they just _fit _together. Her back arched, her body contorting as it was rocked by an intense orgasm. She moaned and moaned, and he bore down on her, feeling his own climax building. _Yes,_ she chanted, even after her body stopped convulsing, as James isolated movement to his hips alone. Suddenly he grunted, froze, and drove deep into her one last time. Juliet cried out, gasping for breath while he came inside of her.

After that, time slowed back down around them; they laid there, still joined, with James on top of Juliet, both catching their breath as the feeling of having their minds blown faded.

"Jesus." said James. Juliet, still shaky, felt a laugh bubble up out of her chest; he sounded pleased. She made a cute sound when he slipped out of her, and it reminded him a moment later, after he'd collapsed on his back beside her, that she was naked and vulnerable in his bed. He sat up for just a second, reaching for the blanket at the end of the bed, and covered them both with it. "Com'ere." he said, putting his arm around her body and pulling her to him as gently as he spoke. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Juliet made another soft sound in her throat, melting into him as they pressed their naked bodies together, hands everywhere. "That felt really good." Juliet told him earnestly. "_Really_ good." she repeated with emphasis, stopping just short of telling him how long it had been since she'd been touched, let alone so thoroughly satisfied.

James smiled and kissed her. "Good. We should do it again."

Juliet chuckled quietly, kissing him back. "All night?"

He growled. "Now you're talkin'..."

"Mmm..." she sighed as he kissed her neck and caressed the side of her body. She closed her eyes and contemplated, for a long, long moment, staying the night. She didn't have any clothes, she didn't have a toothbrush, and she wasn't sure when Miles was going to be back, or what their morning routine was. All of these were easy excuses of course, but underneath all that, responsibility was nagging at her.

"I should go." Juliet whispered.

"Nuh-uh." James argued simply. "I wanna make you breakfast in the morning." He kissed her lips again, deeply, and Juliet put her hands in his hair and kissed back. They both wanted that, but she had her reasons.

"I want to be home in case Rachel needs something." she explained. Unfortunately, that wasn't something James could argue with. Begging her to stay with that hanging over them would have been wrong, though in the back of his mind he wondered if it was being used as an escape. He still had her in his arms and he already wanted more of her.

"What are you doin' tomorrow?" James asked.

"You mean today?" Juliet corrected him with a smile. It was past midnight; they'd been in bed for a while.

"When can I see you again?" he said, putting it another way. Juliet wasn't sure what to say; would it make her sound desperate to tell him they could spend the whole day fucking like bunnies once she made sure her sister was alright? Her thoughts were interrupted anyway, when she felt his hand sliding up her inner thigh. She was still wet, sensitive from the almost rough sex they'd just had, and when he touched her she couldn't think straight.

"I..." she stammered. "I'll call you..."

"Call me what?" he teased her, his voice low and suggestive. Her eyes were closed; she didn't see the return of his wicked smile.

* * *

"You wanna take a shower?" James asked an hour later, when Juliet was finally getting dressed. He was sitting against the headboard, watching her button her jeans a few feet away.

"James," said Juliet, admonishing him in the sweetest way possible. She didn't _want_ to go, but she still felt that she had to, and he wasn't making it easy.

"I didn't mean with _me_." he said, only half kidding. "Though, now that ya mention it..."

Juliet's cheeks rounded when she grinned. James liked that. It was all he wanted now, to make her smile, make her laugh, and make her come. He was headed into unknown territory now, the excitement of a new relationship making him think a bit differently about how to spend his time.

"Don't mean to bug ya." said James, smiling good-naturedly. "I just don't want you to think you're not welcome to stay."

"You're not bugging me." Juliet said quietly, fixing a twisted bra strap. She turned to him, wearing a soft expression that bordered on adoration. For the sake of her pride she held her tongue from all the things she wanted to say, and after a pause she admitted why she was still standing there. "I think my shirt is in the living room..."

James smiled. "I'll get it." he said. Now it was Juliet that sat on the side of the bed, watching James as he pulled on his jeans - just in case - for the short trip. They hadn't heard Miles come in yet, but it didn't hurt to be cautious. Before he left, he leaned down to kiss her. It was a tender gesture that gave Juliet that same sense of budding relationship butterflies that James got whenever he looked at her. This was going to be fun.

Juliet finished dressing, and they walked to the living room together. The TV was still on; the movie they'd abandoned had ended hours ago, and was back to the endless loop of the DVD menu. They hadn't even made it through the first one.

"You want your DVD's?" James asked her as she put on her jacket. She was in the doorway now, looking just like she had when she'd arrived, except for her hair. It was tousled now, evidence of the good time she'd just had.

"I'll get them when I come back." Juliet replied. _When I come back._ It sounded so definite. "Maybe next time we'll actually finish one." she added. They kissed each other good night, both knowing they wouldn't get through the opening credits the next time they saw each other.

_There...was that M enough for ya? ;) Let me know what you thought!_


	5. I Could Get Addicted To You

_I know I said Edmund was showing up soon, but since you asked for more M I thought I'd push that drama back a chapter and write something super fluffy (and naughty) first. (As if I really needed to be asked, pff! ;D) Enjoy!_

* * *

Rachel shambled into her kitchen the next morning, so desperate for coffee she could already smell it. She realized, when she looked up and saw Juliet at the kitchen table, that she really _could_ smell the coffee, because it had already been made. Juliet looked up from whatever medical journal she was reading and smiled brightly.

"Morning." she said. "I got up early and went to the bakery."

Rachel stared, confused, as her sister looked back down at the magazine. There were muffins on the table in front of her.

"Juliet." she mumbled.

Juliet looked up. "Hm?"

"...What the hell are you doing here?!" Rachel asked her, her voice rising in pitch as the words tumbled out.

"I-" Juliet started and stopped, a little shocked by her sister's reaction to her presence. "I wanted to be here, in case -"

"In case I died of cancer overnight?" Rachel joked, though she was still indignant.

"Rachel!" Juliet scolded her. "That's not funny."

"I told you not to worry about me, Jules! Didn't I say it was okay for you to spend the night there?"

"Yes! But I came home anyway, okay? If I'd stayed I would have been worrying about you, and that wouldn't have been fair for any of us."

Rachel sighed, shuffling in her slippers to stand in front of Juliet. She lowered to a crouch, placing her hands on Juliet's knee and looking up into her eyes. "Juliet."

Juliet looked back at her ruefully. "What?"

"I know you're scared." said Rachel. "I think you're more scared than I am this time around. But you know what's going to make going through this a whole lot easier?"

"What." Juliet asked, playing along. The corners of her mouth were turning up already.

"Knowing that you've got this really hot guy that's going to make you really happy and distract you from all the bullshit that's going on in your life."

"Rachel," Juliet said, her voice failing her as a lump grew in her throat. "You're not bullshit."

Rachel grinned and bit her lip to keep from laughing. "I was referring to your asshole ex-husband and the cancer. But thanks." They both laughed, and Rachel moved to the chair across from Juliet. "I'm serious, though. I'm not gonna put my life on hold just because my stupid tumors are back, and I'm sure as shit not gonna let you put your life on hold either. You already did that once for me."

"I'm going to take care of you this time too." Juliet assured her.

"I know. So don't make me feel worse about it by denying yourself a potential relationship with James."

"Well, when you put it that way..." Juliet said sarcastically.

"You need someone to lean on too, Jules."

"Nope," Juliet disagreed playfully. "I'm an independent woman."

"Uh huh." Rachel replied, skeptical not because she didn't think Juliet could handle life alone, but because she didn't think she should have to. "So did you run out on him after dinner or did you stay and have a little fun?"

Juliet's smile turned coy. "I had fun." she said lightly. Then her smile turned downright evil. "I had a _lot _of fun."

"Go on..." said Rachel, reaching for a muffin from the plate in the center of the table.

"Well, we started watching a movie while we ate." Juliet pulled a leg up underneath her, getting comfy for confession time. "Then we were talking a little, and then he just kind of...looked at me."

"Uh huh..." Rachel said slowly, implying she knew there would be much more to it.

"Yeah." Juliet said emphatically, confirming as much. "So I said, 'What?' as if I didn't know exactly what he was thinking. And then - he told me he'd been wanting to kiss me since I walked in the door."

"Oh, I can't _wait _to meet this guy." said Rachel as she grinned.

"Rachel, you don't understand. When he looks at me..."

"You don't even need to say it, I can see it in your eyes!" said Rachel, and they laughed again.

* * *

Later that day Miles was sitting in the living room, shoving his feet into his sneakers, when he heard a knock on the door. "Yo! Jimbo!" he shouted. James came walking from the bedroom area to open the door, giving Miles a pointed look on his way. "I know, I know." said Miles. "I've already got my shoes on."

"Yer the best pardner in the whole wide world." James said as he reached for the door handle, his wide smile as exaggerated as his accent.

"Yep, I know." Miles agreed.

James couldn't wait any longer; he swung the door open, and he got the same happy feeling he felt the last time he'd opened the door to let her inside. She smiled when she saw him, and the feeling got even sweeter. It seemed the woman that he and Miles had for months referred to as 'that blonde chick in the morgue' had become his girlfriend overnight.

"Hey." she said, her smile deepening the longer she looked at him. His lips curved up too, and he moved back to let her in. She stepped inside, smiling Miles' way when she saw him. "Hey, Miles." she said warmly.

"How's it goin', Burke?"

"Good." Juliet answered honestly, looking at James when she said it. Miles caught the looks they gave each other. He knew they were just waiting until he was gone. With any other couple it would have bugged the shit out of him and made him roll his eyes, but even Miles had to admit they made a cute pair. It warmed his cold, black heart to see a good guy like James bag himself such a great girl. And it had all been his doing, he liked to think.

"How's Rachel?" James asked, fully aware that Miles was purposely taking a long time getting his gym bag and keys just to mess with them.

"She's great." said Juliet, smiling to herself as if she were debating saying something in mixed company. "She chewed me out this morning. For coming home last night."

"Well, this sister a' yours sounds very wise." said James. They smiled at each other, an awkward silence growing afterward. They both turned to Miles, who was now just standing around, watching.

"Well, " he said slowly. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I made plans to go to the gym."

"Sounds great." said James, holding the door open for him. "See ya later!"

Miles walked outside, turning as the door started to swing shut. "Hey, maybe later we can all go to-"

James smiled as his friend was interrupted by the door slamming in his face, already on his way to Juliet. She grinned as he swooped in to kiss her, wrapping her arms around his neck in return for the hands that held her waist.

"Mmm," James groaned against her lips. "I missed you last night." he said when they parted. "How long can you stay?"

"I don't have any plans..." said Juliet, giving him little kisses all over his face. James turned his eyes up to heaven, thanking a few deities as Juliet's kisses wandered down the side of his neck.

"No plans, you sure about that?" said James, gently pulling her back up to kiss her mouth. She loved the way he held her. The gentle command he had of her body was something she was very willing to give him. He followed a similar trail down her neck, until his tongue found that special spot just below her ear, the spot that made her entire body tingle at once. Juliet bit her lip and whimpered, and he tongued it harder.

"Oh god," she moaned. "Naked. Now."

* * *

"I could get addicted to you." James murmured.

Juliet smiled. She felt the words touch her skin, his lips and his breath brushing her neck as he said them. "You aren't already?" she teased him. He chuckled, raising his head so he could look at her. They'd just spent the past few hours getting passionately reaquainted, and it was time for some serious lounging in bed. Their legs and arms were all tangled together, and they were rubbing every stretch of soft, warm skin on each other's bodies.

"I guess I'm just playin' hard to get." James replied as he lowered his head to give her neck a few more lazy, sloppy kisses.

"Mmm, if this is you playing hard to get," said Juliet, as she ran her hand over his bare chest, as bare as the rest of him. "I can't wait 'til you finally admit you want me." Her hands crept lower, down his stomach, but before she could really reach for him he took hold of her wrist and raised her hand to his mouth.

"You're gonna wear me out." he joked, giving her palm a feather soft kiss. "And I mean that as a compliment."

Juliet smiled at his comment, and at the feeling of his lips on her palm, and she almost apologized. "I guess I'm just trying to make up for lost time." she teased back. James was moving, shifting his body to lay on top of hers, and starting with her mouth he began a long, slow trail of kisses down her body. She felt her heart rate increase, and she felt a brand new rush between her legs when she realized where he was headed. Just because he was, for the moment, spent didn't mean he couldn't keep giving her pleasure. She made a quiet sound deep in her throat when he kissed her there. She couldn't make sense of it, she'd never been with a man so generous in bed. Past lovers hadn't been bad, but none had been so passionate about making sure she came any time she even hinted at a desire to do so.

"Tell me how you want it." she heard him say. Juliet let out a shaky sigh. She looked down her body and watched his tongue come out from between his lips to press against her. She was still soft, still wet, still primed for contact from the hours they'd already spent fucking. It already felt so good, she wasn't sure what more she would have him do. He took his tongue back just long enough to repeat his request for direction. "Tell me what you want." he said, kiss followed by lick followed by kiss.

"Mm..." came Juliet's barely stifled moan. He kept running his tongue over her most sensitive spot, and she wanted him to stay there. "Suck on it." she whispered, cheeks flushing when she heard the words coming from her own mouth. He responded, attaching his mouth to her and applying a soft suction. It was all about the slow build for him, she knew that now. He seemed to enjoy starting small, warming her up until she begged him for more. She cried out, a tiny moan, and her legs fell further apart. She felt the beginning of a quick orgasm swelling inside of her, but when her moaning intensified James rightly took it as a warning and took his mouth away. He blew on her softly, causing her to whimper at the sweet torture of denial and delayed pleasure. He smiled at the sound of her heavy breathing, and he blew on her every few seconds until she was calm again. He put his mouth on her again, sucking at her until she was moaning his name along with god's. Just when her body began to tense, he pulled the same trick a second time, blowing a cool stream of air at the spot that was going to make her mind explode whenever he decided it was time. Her blood was pumping hard now. There was no calming her this time, she kept moaning even without contact, and when James started to suck on her again she wanted it so bad she put her legs around his neck and squeezed. He sucked harder and harder, sliding his tongue against her at the same time, and he knew the next time he lifted his head it would be after giving her a very intense orgasm. She began to thrust her hips toward him, though they barely moved because he had such a strong hold on her. _Moan for me_ he thought, since he couldn't say it out loud. Good god, she made sexy sounds when she was close. They were almost as sexy as the sounds she made when she was coming. She was starting to make those sounds now, they were already so pleasing and familiar to him, and James didn't let up for a second. Her thighs pressed against the sides of his face, and she moaned as she rode him from below. Just when he thought she might be done, she grabbed the hair at the back of his head, holding him even tighter to her, and her body began to shudder violently. The moans she let loose then made it sound like she had a demon inside her trying to get out. It went on for a while, the pitch of her whines and whimpers rising the longer it lasted. The shuddering slowed and stopped, and she rolled her hips toward his face as the waves of pleasure grew further apart. Gradually, the moaning subsided, and the tight grip she had on his hair loosened. Then the legs that had grown so tense relaxed, freeing his face so he could take a breath.

"Oh my god." she breathed as he crawled back up and flopped down next to her. He could see her eyes were still squeezed shut, and her brow still furrowed as the intensity of her climax was still fading. "Oh my god." she said again. "I don't think I've ever come that hard."

James licked his lips, grinning as he wiped his face with one hand. She had an adorably pained expression on her face, one she kept as she slowly turned over and curled up against his body. "Mm." she moaned softly, readjusting to life back on Earth. He smiled at her, sweeping her hair behind her shoulder and rubbing her back. "Ohhh, god." she breathed gratefully. "Just give me a minute..."

James chuckled once. "For what?"

"Hmm," Juliet said lazily, her mouth curving into a smile. She tilted her head upward, and gave his shoulder a short lick and a soft bite at the same time. "I'm going to return the favor." she said, her innocent tone betrayed by her words. She lifted her pretty eyes up to look into his, to gauge his reaction. The look in her eyes, the confidence with which she gazed at him, made the last remnants of that spent feeling disappear from James completely.

Her fingertips still buzzed with as much pleasure as the tips of her toes. She got another little rush when James took hold of her hand and guided it past his abs so she could feel how hard she made him. She wrapped her hand around him and moaned, lips parting in anticipation. She felt him jump in her hands, and it made her smile a little in response.

"What did you just think about?" she asked him. His hand caressed her face, and he ran this thumb along her lower lip.

"I was thinking about how those moans are gonna sound when your mouth's wrapped around my -"

Juliet suddenly squeezed and stroked him hard, causing him to cut himself off with a loud, almost pained groan. He stared at her lips as they formed a wicked smile, and she whispered "_Just think about how they'll sound when I swallow_."

"Ohh, lord..." James groaned at her dirty talk. "Why didn't I ask you out sooner..."

* * *

After that promise was fulfilled they took a shower together, the relative innocence of cleaning each other's bodies after getting each other so hot and sticky making it a romantic one. Feelings began to intensify when Juliet allowed James to wash her hair. Intimacy like that didn't usually come so soon, but it felt natural so they didn't waste time questioning it. Instead they savored it, the fear of getting too close too soon replaced by caring, just a step away from love. The deep massage that Juliet's scalp received from James fingertips reached all the way to her heart, and he felt the same penetration of his soul when Juliet again returned the favor, giggling when she accidentally got shampoo in his eyes.

_It's too soon_, they kept trying to tell themselves, but the argument was only being made out of habit and it refused to stick. It felt too good, taking turns rubbing soap on each other and then watching the suds disappear under the hot water. They made out until their lips felt bruised, and they stood holding each other under the water until they started to prune. Then James smoothed Juliet's wet hair away from her face, and asked her if she was hungry. Right on cue, Juliet's stomach growled loudly.

"Starving." she said, laughing. James shut the water off and stepped out, grabbing towels for them both.

"How 'bout I order us some Chinese?" he offered. "There's a place around the corner that delivers, you won't even have to get dressed. We can sit and eat 'til we can't even move."

"Mmm," Juliet moaned with a different kind of lust, the kind a stomach felt for food, as she dried herself off. "I can barely move already." she admitted. "But I want dumplings. I'd _kill_ for some dumplings. And chicken chow mein. And something with sesame. Or something spicy?"

The intensity of her hunger put a smile on James' face. It almost matched her hunger for sex. "I'll get you one of everything on the menu if it means you'll stick around."

"You've got me all day, Ford." Juliet promised easily.

"Yeah," said James, his smile deepening. "But the day's almost over. You gonna spend the night?"

His dimples still got to her, and it physically hurt to turn him down. "I'm taking Rachel to the hospital again tomorrow morning." she explained. "More tests."

"Understood." he said with a nod, adding lightly "But one of these nights, Burke..."

"Soon." she said, smiling and wrapping herself in her towel. "I promise."


	6. Lunch At The Hospital

_So, Miles went to the gym. And then the library. And then back to the gym. Jeez, James and Juliet should just move in together already, shouldn't they? ;D Thank you all so much for taking the time to read and sharing your thoughts, I love hearing what you think!_

* * *

They sat on the floor in the living room and pigged out, not even bothering with plates, digging straight into the cardboard containers with chopsticks instead. They were wearing matching outfits, both of them in James' t-shirts and a pair of James' shorts.

"Mmf," Juliet grunted, putting an almost empty box of sesame chicken on the coffee table and pushing it away. "No more. I'm gonna pass out."

"I do love a woman with an appetite." said James, smiling big as he chewed. Juliet leaned back against the couch, running her fingers through her still damp hair as she let out a deep sigh of contentment and overeating. Her hair was curling as it dried, and James was enjoying watching the transformation. He liked seeing Juliet in her natural state.

"I don't mean to sound like a girl or nothin'," he said. "But I was wondering..."

Juliet chuckled, trying to think of any question that could possibly make James Ford sound like a girl. He'd grown hesitant all of a sudden, like he was having trouble getting the actual words out.

"Can we make this exclusive?" he asked.

It took her a moment to process what he meant. It hadn't occurred to her that they weren't, though it hadn't really been discussed. He was of course referring to whatever it was that they'd started with each other, their relationship. It struck her as sweet, for him to be the one to point it out and ask. It meant he'd been thinking about it, at least.

"Are you asking me to go steady, Ford?" she asked, because she couldn't resist a sarcastic remark.

"I am." he said, masking his fear with confidence. If he was going to embarrass himself with mushy relationship talk, he didn't see the use in only going halfway. "I know there's a ton of guys interested in you. And I know 'cause I work with a whole bunch of 'em. I wanted to make sure I laid my claim."

"James." she said slowly, making it sound like she might actually say no. "I think we've always been exclusive." she continued slyly. "We just didn't know it yet."

James smiled, and tossed another empty carton onto the coffee table. He liked that. Good thing they'd finally figured it out.

"Now, I don't mean to sound like a girl either," said Juliet. "But...when did you know you wanted to ask me out?"

It was James' turn to razz her this time. He leaned back on the couch and looked at her, smiling, until she got self-conscious and covered her question with a joke.

"You know, since it took you forever..." she added, rolling her eyes with mock exasperation.

"The day I met you." James said, without a hint of doubt.

Juliet's expression grew bittersweet, her brow furrowing gently. "Why did it take you so long?" she asked lightly, knowing full well she could have asked him out herself. She had her own reasons for waiting.

"I was preoccupied." he said, putting it simply. "You wouldn't have wanted to date me back then."

"Ohhh, but I did." Juliet said dramatically, hinting at the many fantasies she'd indulged in over the time they'd known each other as acquaintances.

"Well it's a good thing we're makin' up for lost time then, huh?" said James.

Juliet nodded, drawing her knees up so she could rest her arms on them. "The day we met?" she repeated, a delayed reaction, as if she couldn't believe it. "Really? You didn't even know me."

"You know why the coroner's office don't have beauty contests, Juliet?"

At this, one of Juliet's eyebrows went up. She sensed a punch line coming.

"'Cause they don't usually look like you. If you had any idea how cute you look in a lab coat, with your hair pulled back and those big plastic glasses you gotta wear...you wouldn't be asking these questions."

Juliet bit her bottom lip hard to keep her grin from spreading too wide. She's always thought the white coat and goggles would be her curse when it came to attracting the opposite sex. To know her beauty shined through those things, or could even be enhanced by them, meant a lot to her, even if she didn't believe it in her heart. James could tell she didn't believe him, and her modesty made her even more beautiful to him. She had no idea how beautiful she was.

"What about you, when did you know?" James asked her.

"When did I know I wanted you to ask me out?" she said, eyes sparkling. "The day I met you."

"Aw, come on, you're just sayin' that." James teased. "Copy cat."

"I'm serious! You brought me my first autopsy, you know."

"No, I didn't know that." he said. "So you were an autopsy virgin before I came along?"

"No, not exactly." said Juliet, smirking at him. "They do make us practice before they let us fuck up a real case. I meant my first autopsy as assistant medical examiner. I knew right away you were different. Everyone else was always working for clearance rates, instead of working to find out what really happened. They just wanted a convenient explanation, and they all acted like winking at me and flirting would make me sign the certificate faster."

"I didn't wink and flirt with you?"

"Well, yeah, you did," Juliet admitted with a smile. "But I liked it when you did it. You weren't trying to play me for a signature like all the other guys."

"I didn't have to. You're good at your job."

"Thank you, James. The fact that you believe that is what makes you so good at _your_ job."

"Well, you're _good_..." said James. "And you're hot. Did it ever occur to you that they were flirtin and winkin' at ya 'cause they wanted a date?"

Juliet thought about it, feeling a bit foolish. Amelia had always told her that all the guys were interested in her, but there had been so many reasons to dismiss the ramblings of a horny old woman. "I guess not." she admitted. Juliet winced, remembering one particular exchange, when she'd told a homicide detective that he shouldn't bother sweet talking her. She may even have used the phrase 'snowball's chance in hell'. She had the perfect excuse - she'd been married the whole time, though she'd already been well on her way towards a formal separation when she started at the morgue. She'd always considered herself off limits, taken without the benefits of being taken, remaining clueless to all the men (and at least two women) that had their eyes on her the whole time. "So...every time I thought I was being professional, I was actually shooting them down?"

"Don't worry about it." said James. "Gals like you can get away with anything." he added smugly.

"Oh really?" said Juliet, as if she were daring him to say it again.

"Yup. I let you hog the sesame chicken, didn't I?"

Juliet chuckled, but didn't take the bait. She simply smiled at him, and rested the side of her face on her folded arms.

"James?" Juliet said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

James didn't ask, but Juliet could tell by his expression he was thinking ..._For what?_

"I'm glad one of us finally found the balls to ask the other out." she explained.

"Me too." said James. "Because if there was ever a perfect day, I'm havin' it right now, with you."

"Me too." Juliet echoed.

After a while she lifted her head and ran her fingers through her hair again, pulling it all to one side and gathering the curls on one shoulder. She knew she'd missed the perfect opportunity to come clean about Edmund and their complicated marital status, but it wasn't like her to ruin a perfect day. It wasn't like James either; he'd glossed over his past again, too. So, instead of talking, Juliet crawled over to James, and he straightened his legs on the floor so he could pull her onto his lap. She straddled him, and his hands went to her thighs, sliding them down the pair of shorts he lent her until he felt bare skin. He slid his hands back up, underneath the fabric, and squeezed. He took in a deep breath and let it out slow and even, a silent growl. "Damn..." he said quietly, his eyes wandering over the old t-shirt she was wearing, thinking about what was underneath.

"What?" asked Juliet. Her arms snaked around his neck, and she leaned closer.

He lifted his gaze from her chest to her eyes, and he smiled. "You look sexy in my clothes." he said. He slid his hands higher, and Juliet lifted herself just enough for him to get a handful of her ass. She hummed softly, pressing her body against his, staring into his eyes and asking without speaking if she was sexy out of his clothes too.

"You wanna go back to bed?" he asked.

Juliet lowered her head so she could put her soft lips to his. While she was kissing him, while she found his tongue with her own, Juliet thought about all the things she wanted to tell him. James thought about his secrets too, in the moments before the needs of his body and the force of his lust consumed his mind. It felt too good to stop, and they both felt that there would be plenty of opportunities to share their baggage in the future. In the moment, it didn't matter what should have been said, or when roommates were going to be home or how many times they'd already done it. The sun was just starting to set and all that mattered was getting more of each other's bodies. They had faith that more of their minds would follow.

_You wanna go back to bed?_

Breaking away so she could answer his question, Juliet nodded.

_We have time._

* * *

The following day was the beginning of a new work week, at least for those still employed by the Los Angeles Police Department. When he thought the coast was clear, James took his personal phone out. He should have known it wasn't going to be that easy.

"Uh oh, look who's calling his new lady." said Miles as he entered the squad room and saw James putting his phone to his ear.

"I hear a word from you during this conversation, you're gettin' a taser to the nut sack." James warned him, since he was still waiting for Juliet to pick up.

"Tell her I said hi." Miles leaned over his desk toward James, as if trying to listen in. "Tell her I miss her, and I can't wait for our threesome-"

James put his hand over Miles' face and pushed his partner away. Then the phone stopped ringing and he had to concentrate. "Hey..." he said, knowing he'd get teased for the uncharacteristically happy tone of voice. "...Just callin' to see how you were doin'......I missed you this morning......yeah? How's she holdin' up?"

Meanwhile, Miles sat back in his chair and made a series of faces and lewd hand gestures.

"You wanna grab lunch?" James asked Juliet, using all his strength to throw a pencil at Miles' face.

"Hey, you're gonna put my eye out!" whined Miles after he batted it away. Miles threw another pencil back. James caught it in mid air, listening very intently to Juliet's answer.

"Alright....see you then."

Miles waited for James to set his phone down. "I can't take any more of this drama, James. You have to choose. It's her or me."

"After the weekend I had? I'm gonna have to go with Juliet."

"Can't say I blame you." Miles conceded with a shrug as he looked through the folders on his desk. James, with just a hint of a smile on his face, bowed his head so he could start typing up a report. A beat passed before he heard Miles say, "Oh, James..." in a falsetto, a fairly accurate impression of what he'd heard from his roommate's bedroom the previous evening. James looked up from his keyboard, a mix of death-glare and smirk for his best friend the jokester. "Ohhh, Jaaames." Miles continued from memory, getting louder just as Juliet had. "Oh god, right there!"

James chuckled sheepishly and looked around to see if anyone else was watching Miles as he tipped his head back and let out a long, continuous moan.

"You heard all that, huh?"

Miles cut himself off abruptly, opening his eyes and looking back at James. "I'd have to be deaf and living in the mountains of China not to hear what was going on in your bedroom, Ford."

"You need some headphones." James said smugly.

"I need a marching band." Miles countered.

"Straume." Abbadon barked from across the squad room.

Miles turned and snapped to attention. "Yes sir?"

"Where were you all morning?"

"Informational meeting regarding the sergeant's exam, sir."

"Oh shit, I missed it?" James said quietly.

Abbadon nodded stoically, and Miles waited until he went back to his private office. "There's gonna be another one." he said to James. "So you _are _going to take the test?"

"Hell yeah, and I'm gonna pass it, too." said James. "And when I make sergeant I'm gonna pull rank on you so hard..."

"Oh James," Miles interrupted, adopting his fake valley girl tone. "Pull your rank all over me..."

* * *

"Was that who I think it was?" Rachel asked once Juliet pulled the phone away from her ear. Juliet smiled and nodded, tucking the phone back in her purse. "Awww," said Rachel. "You get all smiley whenever you talk to him."

Rachel smiled at her sister, from the examination table in a new oncologist's office. They were on the hunt for a new treatment, for second and third opinions and for as much information as they could find. Juliet hadn't understood at first, but she knew now that talking about James was a welcome distraction for Rachel, from the needles and sickly beige walls of the rooms they were soon going to be spending their days in. So Juliet allowed the sheepish grin to take over.

"We're going to meet for lunch. Wanna come with?"

"Nah." Rachel said, acting non-chalant. "I'm not feeling so perky. I'd rather meet him when I don't feel like a walking bag of garbage."

"Rach..."

"Don't even _think_ about cancelling your date." Rachel warned her. "I'm just..."

"I know." said Juliet, because Rachel didn't have to explain a thing.

* * *

They met at the small restaurant in the atrium of the gigantic hospital complex. The treatment center was adjacent to the research facility, Juliet's old stomping ground before she'd left to seek work with the LAPD. She'd originally made the move to distance herself from Edmund and the world of medical research, to prove that she could achieve something on her own. Now that she'd proved she could be successful while free of his influence, she had the confidence to go back and compete with Edmund's exclusive circle. And now that she had someone new to share her life with, she thought she'd invite him into the world she was rejoining.

Juliet was already seated when James arrived. She smiled and stood to greet him as he approached the table. He was sporting her favorite look, jeans and that snug blue t-shirt, and his jacket barely covered his holstered firearm. As macabre as her work in the morgue had been, that look almost made her miss it. Almost. James may not have been the only cop that could pull it off, but he was definitely her favorite, and now he was all hers.

"Hello, gorgeous." said James, returning her smile and giving her a kiss on the cheek. He'd noticed her outfit too; she had on a black pencil skirt and a beautiful silk blouse, and he knew it was for the meetings she had after her appointment with Rachel. It stirred the long dormant jealous streak in him, thinking about all the guys that would get to work with her dressed like this. Where was that lab coat when he needed it? The swanky hospital setting itself made him feel a little out of place. It was too quiet, full of people a lot richer and more educated than him and the people he was used to hanging out with.

"Nice digs ya got here." he said as they took their seats. He was looking around the sunny atrium, comparing it to the dingy, out of date office he worked in. The police station's cafeteria was a vending machine. "I bet you even have computers made after 1998."

"Our clearance rate is better, too." Juliet teased him.

* * *

Another meal and another pleasant, easy conversation was well under way. James had Juliet laughing at his stories of working and living with Miles, and it was starting to feel like nothing could ruin their day. It was so easy to forget that there was always going to be that one asshole that couldn't stand the sight of two people having a good time, an asshole that couldn't stand the thought of two people being happy. Especially when that asshole thought one of the people in question still belonged to him.

The asshole had arrived in the atrium with two of his colleagues, colleagues he told to wait while he went to talk to his wife, the wife that just happened to be having lunch with another man. How awkward.

Juliet sensed someone near their table, but she was too caught up in James to pay that someone any attention until he spoke up.

"Well." said an unfortunately familiar voice. "This is quite the coincidence."

James looked up at the man that stood next to their table, but the man wasn't looking at James. Judging from the sarcastic tone he used, and the way he looked down at Juliet, James knew it had to be an ex. James looked back to Juliet, who stared straight ahead, her face now hard and expressionless. Her gaze fell to the table when he looked at her, like she was ashamed, embarrassed, or worse; like she'd been caught. Like she'd made a mistake bringing him here.

"Can I speak to you for a moment, Juliet?" Edmund said, like a principal to a vulnerable high school student. Juliet's expression hardened even more at his request, which was not a request at all but an order. As if she was an idiot child, and he the wise parent. As if he still had any control over her whatsoever. Her head turned slowly, and she wondered if the newfound power in her eyes would surprise him. They hadn't seen each other in a while.

"No." Juliet said simply. She could see a shift in him when he was refused. He tried to hide it, but she knew him too well. He didn't like this new version of her one bit.

"Juliet-" Edmund began.

"Excuse me." James cut in, brash and loud, the bossy cop in him a perfect mix of friendly and threatening. Edmund turned to him. "The lady said no." said James.

"And you are?" asked Edmund, feigning apathy toward Juliet's new man.

"Don't matter who I am." James said, still playing the part of the calm, objective cop. "The lady's not interested, so why don't you take a walk?"

"Do you even know who you're talking to?" Edmund asked, trying to belittle him. "I'm-"

Juliet felt a great deal of satisfaction when James stood and brought himself to his full height right next to Edmund. He was easily a foot taller than her ex. To his credit, Edmund didn't flinch, but Juliet's satisfaction came from knowing he was steaming mad about being confronted by some lowly public servant on his own turf, the hospital.

"I don't give a good god damn who you are." James interrupted him. "Juliet doesn't want to talk to you, and I don't want you around either, so I suggest you leave."

Edmund stared at him, and a short, forced, derisive laugh pushing its way from his throat. He turned back to Juliet and tried to get one more jab in before he took James' advice.

"Does your boyfriend know you're still married?" Edmund asked with mock curiosity, for the benefit of all that were present, like it was a bomb only he could drop. From the corner of his eye, James saw Juliet turn away, pick up her water glass and take a sip. Then James had a quick vision; it involved picking Edmund Burke up by his collar and the seat of his pants and breaking him in half over the table he and Juliet shared. The old James, the James that barely made it through Academy, would have done it in a second, but that would have been too easy with a little weasel like Edmund. James would get sued, probably lose his job. Guys like Edmund responded better to intimidation and shows of mental power. So James simply smirked and stared him down. He'd deal with that whole married thing later.

"Let me guess," said Edmund, giving James a good once over. "You met at work. I suppose a detective is what passes for top tier down at the precinct."

Trying to insult her sexy, protective cop? Now that was going too far.

"There's no need for a measuring contest, Edmund." Juliet spoke up, her voice smooth and steady. "I already know whose is bigger." She turned pointedly to James when she said it, and they smiled serenely at each other. Edmund forced another laugh, thinking it could hide how much it bothered him to see Juliet with another man, to think about her being with another man. Being satisfied by another man.

"Alright, Jules. When you're done rebelling," Edmund said to Juliet, as if her relationship with James was just a fling to get back at Edmund for all of his misdeeds. "There's a job waiting for you at this hospital. We both know all those big ideas of yours aren't going to get you anywhere without my connections. Enjoy your lunch."

James watched Edmund leave with a mixture of awe and disgust. Juliet hadn't mentioned him at all in the few intense days they'd spent together. He couldn't blame her, really. Edmund was obviously a prick of the highest order. Avoiding him as a topic of conversation seemed only natural. There was, however, the sticky subject of Juliet still being married to said prick. James returned to his seat, slouching in his chair and wishing Juliet didn't look so guilty.

"Mind if I ask what that was all about?" he said gently.

"I'm sorry, James. I -"

"Don't apologize yet. From the looks of things, he deserves whatever it is you're doing to bug him so much. Just be honest with me. That's all I'm askin'."

Juliet nodded, smoothing the napkin in her lap and then tucking her hair behind her ear. "We've been legally separated for a year. I want a divorce; he doesn't. And he thinks taunting me with job offers will make me stay. He's very well known and very well connected. Basically, if you want placement at any of the high end research facilities in town, he's the one you have to go through."

"Lemme get this straight - he's holdin' your career hostage so you'll stay married to him?"

"That's pretty much the long and the short of it." said Juliet, a melancholy smile gracing her lips. Like she was resigned to a fate under Edmund's thumb.

"Maybe I shouldn't come back here then. That thought alone makes me want to punch the little fucker right in the face. If you'll excuse my French."

"I like your French." said Juliet. "And please, punch away."

"Don't tempt me with permission."

"What if I told you it would turn me on?"

James and Juliet both chuckled; a comment like that would normally turn James into a growling animal, but there was still the problem of Edmund between them. Juliet's smile was still sad, still embarrassed. She hated Edmund, but was still being held back by him, and even more so by her own self doubt.

"He put me through med school." she explained. "I married him when I was an undergrad, and he was already a doctor. He thinks I owe him, I guess. I don't know. Maybe I do."

"You can't think like that, Juliet. You don't owe him a damn thing. For puttin' up with him that long, I'd say he owes _you_."

Juliet smiled, but didn't reply.

"How many times did he cheat on you?" James asked, thinking he was being clever. Juliet blushed, smile gone, and James suddenly felt awful. Seeing the humiliation so clearly in her eyes made his stomach churn. He was ashamed he'd brought it up and even more angry at Edmund than he'd been before.

"Sorry." he said, as uncomfortable as Juliet now.

"No," cooed Juliet, feeling like she'd ruined lunch and everything that would come after it with her stupid baggage. "It's just...when I found out what he was doing - and he was doing a lot - I also found out how many other people already knew about it. It felt like I was the last one to know. Is it that obvious?" she asked. "Am I that pathetic girl that gets cheated on?"

A sad form of laughter was stuck inside of her. It was funny to her, in a small way, but it was also still too painful to express that way. For James, the full realization was setting in, why Juliet didn't know her true worth. Edmund had really done a number on her self esteem.

"It's not obvious because of you, Juliet." James told her. "Guys like him...they got a way, and they don't change that way. They sleep around to feel powerful. They cheat on their wives to feel powerful. Now, I'm no saint and I'll never claim to be, but I don't understand how a guy like him could cheat on a woman like you. I don't. And I'm not just sayin' that."

"I know." Juliet said softly. "I believe you."

"Why don't we get outta here," James said abruptly, tossing his napkin on the table along with some cash from his wallet. "Go for a walk in the park, or somethin."

"Okay...?" said Juliet, unsure and still flustered from the confrontation.

James stood, and held out his hand for Juliet to take. "I wanna tell you why I became a cop." he said, and when she looked up at him and slipped her slender hand into his, he knew he was doing the right thing.


	7. A Walk In The Park

_Thanks everyone for the continued support. This chapter is dedicated to my precious Gina, who always reassures me when I ask if it's 'working.' ;)_

* * *

They left the hospital complex hand in hand, walking in silence until they got to the park at the end of the city block. It was a slow walk, and the silence was comfortable, but they both knew as they entered the park that the conversation they were about to have would be the one that defined their relationship. Their heads were heavy with thought, but the way their fingers laced together made it alright to feel that way.

"You remember when you asked me why I became a cop?"

James glanced over at Juliet. She looked up from the ground in front of her to look at his face, and she nodded.

"Well," he said, speaking slowly as he looked back at the tree-lined path before them. "You were right. I do get asked a lot. But I've never told the real story to anyone. So, if the words don't come out right, it's because I've never said them before."

Juliet's heart skipped a beat. She'd never seen him so serious. Without realizing it, she squeezed his hand, letting him know it was okay to continue. There were two men jogging toward them. James let them pass before he began.

"When I was nine, my mother took up with a traveling salesman. That's what she thought he was, at least. He was a grifter, and he promised her everything she ever wanted in return for her life savings. She gave it to him, and when my old man found out..."

James paused. Juliet saw his jaw clench, and she looked away, thinking it might be easier for him to tell her that way. There was a shake in his voice that made her heart pound. He was about to bare his soul to her, and she could only hope she wouldn't fuck it up afterward.

"When my old man found out, he put five bullets in her, and he saved the last one for himself. I was at my aunt's house when it happened." James continued, pressing on so that Juliet wouldn't have to respond to his sordid story. "I didn't even know the details 'til I looked 'em up later on, but I knew back then something real bad had gone on. I could tell by the way my aunt and uncle looked at me after that, like I'd been tainted by it and there was nothing they could do. They tried, they raised me like their own, but I think those looks rubbed off on me. I got to thinkin I could never be a normal kid, so I thought I shouldn't bother acting like one."

James took a deep breath. The hardest part was over, and she was still there, still listening patiently. James gently tugged her hand, changing direction so he could lead her to a wooden bench at the side of the path. They sat down, never letting go of each other's hands.

"I stole my first car at thirteen," he said. "Set fire to things." He cracked a smile for her then, laughing inwardly at the idea of a police officer with a history of grand theft auto and arson. Juliet seemed to appreciate it. Her eyes widened at the news, but she was smiling too. "I almost burned my poor uncle's house down." he went on. "I was getting into some real bad stuff, 'til my uncle, god bless him, realized what I was doing to myself. By that time I'd already dropped out of high school, but he got me a job at a garage and made sure I got my GED."

James felt Juliet squeeze his hand again. She'd turned to face him, no longer afraid to look in his eyes. He still avoided hers, so she pulled his hand into her lap, covering it with her other hand.

"The day I got my certificate, he sat me down and told me my options: join the army, or find a job where I could make a difference. I was an okay mechanic, but he knew I needed a place to channel all the anger I had. He said the army would be for running away...but if I wanted to stand up and face my past, then maybe I should try becoming a cop. See, my uncle wanted to find the grifter as bad as I did. I dunno, maybe it wasn't the safest, healthiest thing to be tellin a kid he should go after an outlaw, but I took to the idea real quick. I joined the academy, all set and ready to beat up some bad guys. I almost got kicked out for bad behavior the second week, since I started beatin' on anybody that looked at me wrong. When I think back on it, I don't know how I made it through. But I made it. I think it was a combination of being partnered up with Miles and realizing there were people out there living with pain just as bad as mine that helped me let go. Miles wouldn't put up with my temper for a second, and it wasn't doing my cases any good either."

James couldn't see it, because he still wouldn't look at Juliet, but she was smiling. She knew he was a favorite among the administration, the reliable, relatable, level-headed officer that was also respected by his peers. Turns out he'd been on quite a journey to get to that position. She was aware of what it meant for him to share all of this with her, especially coming away from a confrontation with an arrogant doctor in that pretentious restaurant she'd invited him to have lunch in.

"So you're not looking for the grifter anymore?" she asked after a silence.

James glanced at her lap and the small tangle of hands that rested gently in it. He shook his head no. "Not actively. Not with the same intentions."

Motion caught his eye, across the path at a small playground. There were two kids, a boy and a girl, on the swing set. They were laughing, their trajectories completely opposite until the girl reached out for the boy's hand. They swung by each other three times before the boy grabbed hold of her. The sudden tension made the swings wobble, which made the children laugh harder, but they held on, working together and using their feet to fix the motion of their swings. James thought about Rachel and Edmund, about the personal problems Juliet shared with him and the burdens she kept, and he thought about the reasons why he was telling her all of his now. He really wanted what they had to work, he just didn't know how. He'd never gotten this far into a relationship that didn't end badly for both parties.

"I don't do this." James said plainly. "I don't talk about my past." He finally turned to her, ready to lay it all on the line. The look she was giving him was calm and sure, but he was going to have to tell her all of it if they were going to stay together. "I don't even date, you understand? I've slept with a lot of women that I haven't seen a second time. I never trusted them to handle me, and then it got to the point where I was thinkin' maybe I didn't deserve a girl that could handle me. I push everyone away, 'cept for Miles, who I couldn't push away if I tried."

Juliet laughed, and her laughter was a comfort. She knew what he was thinking, that it should have scared her off, but everything he was showing, the self-awareness of his flaws and the courage it took to tell her about all of them, only deepened what she already felt for him. The soul he'd bared was beautiful, and he was offering it to her with honesty.

"I'm not telling you this for sympathy." said James, because he could see some in her eyes. "I'm telling you this because I want you to know who I am, so you can decide now whether or not you want me. I really like you, Juliet. I can see this goin' on for a long time, which might not sound like much to you but you're talkin' to a guy who's never looked past the one night stand. And maybe what you got goin with your ex ain't any of my business, but when I saw him lookin at you the way he did, I got jealous. When I saw the way you looked at him it only got worse. Made me realize I want you all to myself. I'll fight for you, if you let me. Just tell me it's over between the two of you. I'll believe whatever you tell me."

"It's over." Juliet said immediately, no hesitation or doubt, hope taking their place instead. James moved his hand between the two of hers, so that their fingers laced again, and he was the one to squeeze this time. He tried to keep the relief from showing too much in his features.

"Alright," he said, confidence renewed. "So whadya say? You still wanna take a chance with a fucked up, relationship-challenged police detective?"

Juliet felt a big swell of emotion after everything he'd said. Their dirty secrets had been laid out in the open, not so scary anymore now they were in the light. The only thing her mouth could do at the moment was kiss his lips, and she ignored the joggers and playing kids to plant one on him. The hand she held escaped, and she felt it at the back of her head, holding her gently, the way he always did when they kissed. His lips and his tongue were familiar, but the kiss felt different. He was her boyfriend now, and after wasting more than a decade on a life with Edmund that turned out to have never existed at all...it felt _really _good. She didn't want to stop kissing him, but she hadn't actually answered his question yet and he was getting kind of curious.

"I'll take that as a yes?" he said when he pulled back. She smiled, nodded, staying close enough to see the jagged lines in the irises of his eyes. His thumb stroked her cheek, and the emotion came over her again. She put her arms around him then, pulling him closer.

"Say something." James whispered, trying to make her laugh.

"I don't know what to say." she admitted. With her arms wrapped around him, she could feel his body move when he chuckled.

"Say anything." he said softly. "I just wanna hear your voice."

Juliet smiled and squeezed him. "I want you." she whispered in his ear, her voice still coming back to her. "I want you all to myself too. Thank you so much for telling me everything you told me. I'm fucked up and relationship-challenged too, but when I'm with you I feel like I'm not. That has to mean something, right?"

Juliet leaned back, releasing him, and James smoothed her hair back, running his fingers through it gently. "Yeah." he said with a half smile. "I think it does."

"Oh," Juliet said, softly and suddenly. "What time is it?"

James took his hand out of her hair so he could check his watch. "Just before one. You gotta get back?"

"I have another appointment with Rachel, then another interview."

"And I should get back to work at some point." James agreed. "Those mysteries ain't gonna solve themselves."

"Can't Miles solve them all?" Juliet deadpanned.

"I don't know..." James pretended to ponder as he stood, helping Juliet up after him. "I heard a detective only _passes _for top tier down at the precinct..."

Juliet laughed, and once she was standing she put her arms around his neck again. "You don't just pass, James." she said, giving him another quick kiss. "You're the best they have."

James smiled down at her, and he saw the little sparkle come into her eye. Her thumbs were rubbing the nape of his neck. She wanted to say something, and he was going to wait until she shared it.

"I want to see you tonight." said Juliet.

"Yeah?" said James. "You gonna spend the night?"

"Mmhm." Juliet nodded, not missing the hands on her lower back dipping a little lower when he leaned in to give her a deeper kiss. James held her close, and looked into her sparkling eyes again.

"You're gonna keep me up all night, aren't you?" he asked her.

"Mmhm." Juliet said again, and both the nodding and her smile had a little more emphasis. James stifled a grin, and he cleared his throat so he wouldn't think too much about her plans while they were still outside.

"You better quit smilin' like that, Blondie." James warned her. "Don't wanna have to arrest myself for lewd behavior in a public park..."

* * *

After walking Juliet back to the hospital, James drove back to the station and tried to find some shred of motivation to finish the work day. He'd seen her every night since their first date and it still wasn't enough. Every second he wasn't holding her felt like a wasted one. He was going to see his lady that night, all night, and he was going to wake up beside her. Better yet, with her in his arms.

James found Miles' chair empty, but his partner soon returned with food from the vending machines.

"Oh, welcome back, sir." Miles said with mock respect. "Are you sure you're ready to return to work? Do you need another hour for lunch?"

"I love you too, Straumey."

"So," Miles said, tossing the candy and chips on his desk. The dinner of champions. "Did she dump you?"

James sighed, lighthearted. Instead of answering the question, he opened the bottom drawer in his desk and took out the special gift he'd found just for his roomie. James tossed the unwrapped box at him, and Miles caught a brand new pair of headphones. It took Miles a moment to process, and when he figured it out he looked up at James, lips pursed.

"Our love is a lie." said Miles.

"I'd suggest the 1812 Overture, but..." James cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes in deep contemplation. "I don't think it'll be loud enough."

"Alright." said Miles, tossing the headphones next to the food. "Is there any other torture you need me to endure, master?"

"Yeah, look up Edmund Burke. I need to find some legal ways to make his life a living hell."

"Edmund Burke? That name sounds familiar."

"He's a big wig down at the hospital."

"Wait a minute, _Burke_? As in, Juliet Burke? Is he an ex? I can't believe I never made that connection..."

"You know him?"

"He's been at a few of my dad's museum functions. I heard he's a prick."

"You heard right. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting him at lunch."

"And you're giving me headphones...? Did you impress Juliet with a manly display of power?"

"Not yet." said James, flashing a smile.

"Careful, Ford. He's one of those guys with _actual _power. He's probably got fancy cars and...a working phone." Miles reached into his pocket for his finicky cellular, adding it to the growing pile of junk on his desk.

"And he's puttin' a frown on my woman's beautiful face." said James, a fair justification for any behavior. "Now, in this particular case, violence is not an option, because rich pricks tend to bruise a little too easy."

"And those days are behind you." Miles added.

"Right. So we gotta be clever about this."

Miles thought briefly before his first idea came to him. "We could set him up with a tranny hooker?"

"...I was gonna say start with outstanding parking tickets, but if that's where your mind goes..."

"That's not where my mind _goes_, Ford. That's where it resides."

"Uh huh. I should have known you'd be a little too good at this."

"That's what happens when a man is forced to listen to his roommate boning his girlfriend 'til three in the morning."

James chuckled, halfway between sheepish and proud. "I can't help the sounds she makes, Straume. I can only hope she'll keep makin' 'em."

"Oh, I'm well aware of your great love of self expression. She wasn't the only one making noise. 'Ohhh_, yeeeah'..._"

"Okay, that's just creepy." James interrupted before Miles' disturbing impression could continue. "Get to work."


	8. She Owns You Now

_A/N 1 - So here's another very M rated chapter, folks. This is where that language warning comes into play, and I'm not talkin about Miles this time...teehee!_

* * *

Juliet couldn't stop laughing. The character and car she'd chosen in Mario Kart had just flown off the Rainbow Road for what must have been the zillionth time - she'd lost count of the number - and she still had a slight buzz from the few bottles of beer she'd been offered upon arriving.

"Good god, you are hopeless, Burke." Miles said, crossing the finish line in first, also for the zillionth time in a row.

"I know!" she giggled. "I told you, I don't play video games. I don't care if this is designed for a six-year-old."

"Designed for, but not limited to." Miles added, feeling the need to justify a grown man being an expert at controlling a cartoon go-cart.

"Here," James said, chugging the last of his beer and reaching for Juliet's controller. "We need to take Baby Mario down a peg."

"Please, show me how it's done." said Juliet, gladly relinquishing control to James. He was slouched next to her on the couch, head resting on the back of it. Miles was across from them in the lounger, eyes glued to the screen.

"Aw, how cute, he thinks he can take me." said Miles, watching as James scrolled back to choose a different player. "And he's also pretending that he doesn't always play as Princess Peach."

"Baby Peach belongs to Juliet now." James explained matter-of-factly. The deep timbre of his voice didn't change, but the tone struck Juliet as cute, almost childlike, and it made her grin.

"You should play as the little mushroom guy." she said. James chuckled, and took her suggestion. They started the race, and the furious competition began.

"You dirty mother fucker." said Miles, with the seriousness of a killer, when James took an early lead.

"Quit flirtin," said James. "My girlfriend's sittin right here."

There were bombs and bananas being laid all over the track, carts spinning out of control, lightning flashing. Juliet could barely keep track of the action. She was buzzed and horny and couldn't wait for the moment Miles finally said goodnight. She wanted to get to know him, James' best friend and partner, but there were only so many hours to spend with James before morning came and it was time for him to go to work again. So she decided to torture him a little. Worst case scenario, he would ignore her. Best case, it would get James to take her to bed.

James and Miles were staring intently at the screen, taunting each other as if the game were a matter of life and death, with language usually reserved for soldiers on the battle field. Juliet tucked her hair behind her ear, scooching down close to James and resting her chin on his shoulder. She kissed his earlobe, sweetly at first. He smiled, but then he felt the tip of her tongue run along the edge of his ear, all the way up to the top. She kissed her way back down, and then blew softly. It sent a shiver down his back. It sent one down his front too, and he shifted in his seat from the discomfort of a secret pleasure.

"I'm trying to defend your honor, sweetheart." he said snidely, as if the distraction bothered him at all. Juliet grinned. She held the opposite side of his face in her hand, and she pressed her lips very lightly to his ear so she could whisper under the bright music coming from the television.

"_I want you inside of me_..."

There was that shiver down his front again, stronger this time. James' smile deepened, and he kept playing his game. He wanted to see how far she was going to take hers.

"_I just soaked my panties thinking about your cock..." _Juliet breathed into his ear, adding an aching moan to her whisper. "_I wanna choke on it while you eat my pussy..."_

_Oh, shit._ James thought. _She's ain't messin' around. _He tried to concentrate on the cart he was driving so he wouldn't get hard. Her voice and those words were all that it took.

"_I get so wet for you, baby..._" she said. She took his ear lobe between her lips, getting that all wet too. "_I know you wanna taste it. I know you want me to ride your face 'til I come in your mouth. I only get this wet for you, baby..._"

Juliet could tell he was starting to lose it. He was fidgeting, breathing a little heavier, staring ahead at the television like he was going to burn two holes in it with his eyes. Juliet's legs rubbed together as she shifted her hips. She was getting turned on too, because everything she was saying was true.

"_I want you to fuck me,_"Juliet went on. "_I want you to push my legs apart and fuck me so hard it hurts. I need you to fuck me, James-"_

It was his name that did him in. James turned his head for just a second, kissing Juliet hard on the lips to stop the delicious, heart-pounding torment that kept falling so casually from them.

"Don't make kissy face in front of me!" Miles yelled. Their lips smacked loudly, and James turned back to the game. He recovered quickly, and ran Miles right off the pixelated road.

Juliet sat back. She was soaking wet, her nipples were hard, and she felt light headed since her blood was all rushing to the space between her legs. She grabbed a beer from the coffee table, she didn't know whose it was, and drank the rest of it in one gulp.

"Hey Miles, how ya likin' that gift I gave you?" James said abruptly.

"Fuck." said Miles, struggling to get back in the race. "You guys wanna have sex, don't you?"

"Watch it." James said sharply, still defending Juliet's honor even though his little dirty talker was a breath away from touching herself.

"I'm out! I'm out." Miles said, jumping out of his seat and bounding toward his own bedroom. His door slammed shut and loud music came on almost immediately, silencing as Miles plugged his fancy new headphones in. James turned to Juliet with fire in his eyes.

"You better _run_." he warned her. She exhaled, moaning a little as the air left her lungs. She lifted herself from the couch, and James grabbed her ass with one hand and squeezed as he stood behind her.

"Oh god." she moaned, breaking into a jog in the direction of his bed. James gave her a head start, waiting in the living room long enough to shut the TV off. She disappeared into his bedroom before he went after her. When he walked in behind her and shut the door she already had her shirt off and the front of her pants undone. "Come here." he ordered, dropping to his knees in front of her, yanking her pants down her legs and her panties down along with them. He helped her step out of them, one strong hand on her thigh to steady them both as the other pulled her pant legs off one by one. "On the floor." he said, pulling her toward him as he laid on his back, right on the floor in front of her. "On your knees, baby."

Juliet made a desperate sound as her knees made soft contact with the carpet, barely in place before James lifted his head to put his open mouth on her. She spread her knees apart, lowering herself so he could rest his head on the floor. He was licking and kissing and sucking, and Juliet took advantage of their privacy and moaned aloud, letting out the sounds she'd kept so pent up in the living room. Then she felt his tongue push inside of her, and she fell forward, catching herself on her hands. He didn't keep it in her for long; it was just a preview of something bigger, something harder she was going to feel later. Instead, he went back to devouring the outside of her.

"Fuck, James, James, James-" she chanted, before her voice cut off. He grabbed her hips and she cried out again, she was so close already, but James pushed her up and away, gulping for air. He reached down to his waist to tear open his pants. She hovered above him, moaning with each breath she let out, and looked down at his face. He looked up into her eyes, her eyelids droopy under twisted brow, and he asked her if she wanted to fuck him.

"Yes." Juliet breathed, waiting for him to shove his pants down far enough to let her. She moved back as he kicked them off, and she reached down between their legs, finding it difficult to keep her trembling thighs tense enough to support herself. She had her hand around him, he was throbbing, and she was beyond ready to have him inside of her, but James said "Wait," holding her hips in place above him. "Waitwaitwait, we need anything?"

"I'm on the pill." Juliet said. "And I trust you." she added softly. They looked into each other's eyes as James loosened his grip and Juliet lowered herself onto him. "Ohh, fuck." he groaned. James let his head fall back as she surrounded him, taking him in deep. His eyes fell closed for a moment, but he opened them again quick, lifting his head to see their bodies join at the hip. After the conversation they'd had that afternoon in the park, he thought they would have been making love a little sweeter that night, but it turned out intimacy turned them on that much more. He was buried inside of her, she'd put him there, and in a way she was inside of him too. He could feel it - the sex meant more now that they were getting close.

Juliet set her hands on his chest, her fingers digging into his skin as she began to move. Her hips pushed against his with a forward motion, slow, intense and deep. A luscious and indulgently slow moan emanated from the deepest part of her. She wanted this feeling to go on forever.

She could feel his hands on her legs, softly stroking her skin and then squeezing the flesh, but still letting her control the movement. She flipped her hair to one side and leaned down to kiss him, her hands on his pecs to steady herself. His mouth tasted like beer, his mouth tasted like her, his mouth tasted exactly the way a hot floor fuck should taste. For James, the defining moment came when Juliet lifted her head and looked into his eyes like he was the safest place in the world for her to be. He imagined her saying the words _I love you_, and even though the sound he really heard was just another moan, he should have known _I love you _was exactly what she was thinking. _I'm _in_ love with you._ James thought back.

Things sped up after that. Their motions became so raw and urgent, Juliet didn't even care about the rug burn she was getting on her knees. And then suddenly her moan sounded different, and he could tell she'd found that spot inside herself, the one that sent her spiraling when he hit it. Her fingernails dug deeper. She was using his body to blow her own mind and that was just fine.

"Get it, baby." he said proudly, enjoying her pleasure even more than his own. She certainly tried, but as much as she loved riding him, the thought of being on her back with James above her wouldn't leave her fevered mind.

"Fuck me." she begged him. "I need you to fuck me, James."

They flipped, Juliet rolling onto her back and James using his hips to keep thrusting into her. He pushed her thighs apart and thrust hard, the way she'd asked him to in the living room. "Yeah," Juliet cried, nodding her enthusiastic approval. Giving her friction in one spot and gentle pressure with his thumb on another, James got her to tense up and then release what had been building since she'd given his earlobe that first innocent kiss. She thrust her hips up and froze as the first wave hit her, relaxing for a moment and then thrusting again for a second. The sounds she made for him were so sweet, so uncontrolled; when she was finally spent, and she let her head fell back on the floor with a satisfied sigh, James couldn't help himself. He let her legs fall to his hip and leaned down to kiss her, grabbing her head with one hand. He kissed her with a passion he hadn't known before he met her, desperate to feel her mouth and her tongue, and Juliet kissed back. His mouth and his tongue told her things when he was kissing her that they couldn't when he spoke. They weren't done yet, but now it was time for that sweeter love. They both deserved some after all of that.

The kiss was slowing, and James could feel Juliet smiling against his lips. She chuckled, and he lifted his head.

"How did we end up on the floor...?" she murmured, her question rhetorical and her next laugh a deeply satisfied one.

"I pulled you down on top of me, that's how." James said, smiling down at her, catching her lips and breathing in as they shared another slow kiss. Juliet felt him start to move away, so she held on to him, making him stay, half asking and half telling when she said, "Stay inside me." For that, she got another kiss, but he didn't want her on the floor anymore. He wanted her above him, where she belonged. So he put an arm underneath her, supporting her back, and pulled her up, her body arching gracefully as he knelt and she settled on his lap. She sighed, a moan slipping out with it. With her arms and legs wrapped around his body, she began to rock against him. His hands held her waist, and her hands slipped down to his biceps, feeling them flex as he moved her hips. She kept making those sounds, because she knew they drove him crazy, and he made sounds too, grunting and groaning as he got closer.

"Talk to me." he asked her, near the end. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him close. He sensed the shyness that came with being sober, but he was there inside of her, and she had no reason to feel any shame around him, not after the things they'd experienced together already. It didn't even matter what she said to him. When she lowered her voice and breathed in his ear, she could make anything sound sexy. Still, she managed to impress him, sweet nothings becoming dirty somethings, all culminating in a desperate plea for him to come inside of her. She even said please.

She almost came again when she felt it, when his hips jerked and he held her down on top of him, and when he told her how fucking beautiful she was. James rested his forehead on her shoulder and emptied himself into her, and she held on for dear life until his jerking hips slowly came to rest. They held each other, just breathing, until their hearts slowed down again. James' hand wandered up and down her smooth back, and Juliet touched his face, and they kissed until their lips hurt. James stayed, kneeling, with Juliet all around him, until one of them said _Let's go to bed._

Juliet still had her bra on. She traded it for an old, over-sized LAPD t-shirt, putting nothing else on before she slid under the sheets with James. They kissed a little more, unable to resist the hands and lips that had them both addicted. They drifted off, finally, still connected by the arms around each other's waists, and they slept very soundly.

The next morning, James' internal alarm clock woke him up promptly at 6:03am. As usual, he woke up on his side, but this particular morning, instead of an otherwise empty bed, he felt a warm body in front of him, cozy and cuddly and still asleep in his arms. She prevented him from getting up, from moving or stirring at all. It felt too good to hold her, and he couldn't bear to wake her before she was ready. In that instant of waking he decided he'd go into work late if he had to. Anything to keep her there and make the feeling last.

_You are gone, buddy boy. _James thought to himself._ She owns you now._

* * *

_A/N 2 - Aw, that would be such a nice place to end it, don't you think? Too bad I'm addicted to writing and have lots more planned for this story, hehe. Anyway, thanks for reading!_


	9. Breakfast In Bed

_Arrright, this chapter might be... a little indulgent. But something tells me that you, the reader, won't mind that at all, haha. Thanks everyone for still keeping up with this story, I know the waits are long sometimes, it really makes me happy that you're sticking around._

* * *

Fortunately for the police department and much to James' dismay, Juliet did not stay asleep for much longer. She slowly became aware of her surroundings, of a different bed underneath her than she was used to, of being on one side of that bed instead of the middle, and most pleasantly, of the strong arm wrapped around her waist. She could feel the length of his body pressed up against hers, holding her as close as he could without being on top or inside of her. She loved that feeling, the feeling of being comfortable and cared for, held and wanted. James wanted her in his bed. But desire got the best of her that morning, like it would get the best of James, and she turned over to greet him.

James felt Juliet stir, disappointed to lose the wake-up feeling, but excited to talk to her and look into her eyes. They were as blue as he remembered, and even prettier in morning light.

"Hey." she said, her voice still sleepy.

Juliet's heart fluttered when she looked up at James' face. His eyes made her feel safe, and the slow smile that took over his mouth made her feel warm inside.

"Hey." he answered her. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like a baby." she said, smiling when she felt his hand on her hip. His fingers slipped beneath the long t-shirt she wore, his hand sliding up to touch her breast.

"Me too." said James, squeezing her softly and running his thumb over her nipple until it hardened.

"So my snoring didn't keep you up?" said Juliet, biting her lower lip over her smile but failing to hide how much that simple touch turned her on.

"You snore?" James murmured, moving his head forward to kiss her lips. He lingered there, adding to the stimulation and making both places tingle.

"I wouldn't know," Juliet whispered when their lips parted. "I'd be asleep when I do it." She reached down between their bodies to see if he had anything for her. He was soft, which didn't surprise or disappoint her, since she wasn't exactly leaving him unsatisfied these days. She kissed him again, and wrapped her fingers around him in a delicate way, softly massaging him until he started to grow in her hand. "You want a quickie before you go to work?" she asked, the accompanying smirk making James chuckle.

"You're askin' a bear if he wants honey..." he joked. Juliet's hand held his real answer.

"Feel free to use my body." Juliet said, grinning playfully.

"Nah," said James, taking his hand out of her shirt so he could move the sheet and get on top of her. She rolled onto her back, spreading her knees apart to make room for his torso. "I'll make it good for you too." he told her.

She was still stroking him, tugging on an already thick shaft until her fist closed around the head, then back again. He reciprocated, the fingers of one hand exploring where she was already wet for him. She sighed gratefully, encouraging him with her hand and the soft sounds in her throat.

"I just don't wanna owe you." he explained in a low, teasing voice. "You're already insatiable." Juliet smiled, pleased to hear it, and took a peek between their bodies.

"And I _love_..." he said, giving her leg a tender shove with his knee to spread her a little wider. "Watching you come." His words and actions sent a small wave to his fingertips. He took it as an invitation, slipping one finger inside of her. _Ooh_, she barely moaned, just above a whisper, watching his hand while he watched her face. He pushed his finger deeper into her, feeling how far her lust for him went. She heard a rumble in his throat. "Mmm...you stay wet, don't you..." he said in wonder. She was always ready for him.

She smiled, almost bashfully, and looked up into his eyes. He was only making it worse. "I can't help it." she said quietly, breathy from anticipation. "Just thinking about you makes me so fucking horny..." She opened her legs wider, inviting him in. He was moving his finger slowly in and out of her, getting her desperate. Her hips started to rock, expressing her hunger, and he added a second finger. "Just do it." she whispered. "Please..."

She let go of him, and he took his hand back. Juliet tried to keep quiet as he eased into her, not knowing if the rest of the apartment was awake and not willing to stop the proceedings to ask. It was hard to stifle her moans, but it made it that much more exciting. Soft, slow kisses swallowed her moans before she could let them out, and keeping it all inside pushed her higher and higher until her body was just about ready to sing an aria. She'd been expecting fast, but he kept it slow, achingly slow, the entire time, causing a different sort of pleasure to build deep inside of her. Fucking her softly like this made her orgasm softly too, a longer, deeper, more complete orgasm that made every part of her body shake gently underneath him. She put her hands to his waist, trying half-heartedly to hold him inside her, but he kept moving, slowly, in and out. He could feel her pulsing around him, her breath impossibly short as she rode it out. _Oh- God_- she choked out, toes curling as it continued. James watched in awe, feeling like he'd learned a new trick. He'd expected results, but nothing like this.

Eventually, the trembling flower petal in his bed pressed her head back into her pillow and squeaked, letting her body relax all at once as the climax finally released its grip on her. Endorphins saturated her blood stream; it felt like she'd just had a two hour massage, and it had only taken a few minutes to get there. James continued a few minutes more, savoring being inside her. When he wanted to come, he sped up a little, making the bed rock a little, the mattress creak a little. Just a little. And when he came inside of her, Juliet smiled at the feeling and said _Mmmm_, a reaction that would keep James happy for the rest of the day. Their hearts beat fast, but they weren't out of breath. Relaxed into complete satisfaction; what a way to start the day. James kissed her, and they talked to each other in a low murmur until Juliet told him it was okay to get out of bed and shower.

"See what you get when you stay the night?" James told her with a grin as he climbed out of bed. Juliet grinned back, watching him walk naked around his bedroom until he found something to throw on so he wouldn't have to streak to the bathroom. "I'll be quick." he said, winking as he closed the door behind him.

Juliet waited until it clicked before groaning the words _Oh my godddd_, and stretching her body like a cat in his bed. She could still feel the pleasure all the way down to her bones. What was she going to do all day without him?

* * *

Miles was just pulling two Eggo waffles out of the toaster when he heard an unfamiliar set of footsteps coming down the hall. Juliet hesitated for a moment when she saw him, wishing she'd taken more than a glance in the mirror before walking to the kitchen. She was wearing her jeans and the t-shirt she'd slept in, and she felt like she had the word 'sex' written across her forehead.

"Morning." Miles greeted her, pretending not to notice. He froze for a second too, looking at the still hot breakfast delights he'd just toasted to perfection. "You want these?" he asked her.

Juliet smiled at the two waffles held between his fingertips. "No," she said sweetly. "Thank you."

Miles shrugged. "More for me." he said non-chalantly, pulling two more out of the toaster. "I'll get you coffee though."

"You don't have to do that," Juliet said quickly. "I'm fine."

"Well, normally I'd let you thirst to death Burke, but I'm scared James will beat me up if I don't take good care of you."

Juliet laughed, grateful when he handed her a hot mug.

"Cream and sugar?"

"No, thank you."

"Whoa..." Miles said, backing up slowly. "Black coffee? That's pretty hardcore. ...for a girl." he added, in case she thought he was starting to get too nice. The thing about Miles was, once he started teasing, that's when you knew he really cared.

In spite of the lameness of his joke, Juliet cracked up again, and she was glad she hadn't taken a sip of coffee yet. The giddy feeling she'd gotten from waking up and doing _that_ with James had her all goofy, but doing a spit take in front of Miles would have been going too far. She let the steam rise from her mug, and watched Miles pour way too much maple syrup on his full stack of waffles. Juliet knew he wasn't the type to hide his feelings, especially not anger or distaste, so she thought it was a good sign he was being so sweet to her now.

"You don't mind that I stayed the night, do you?" asked Juliet, just in case.

"Nah." Miles said easily. "He's lucky to have you, ya know. Usually around this time I'm sneaking into his bedroom with an airhorn."

"What time do you usually head out?"

"Depends on whether we're going to the gym or not. I'm assuming that's him in the shower?"

"Yes, unless you had a special guest we didn't know about."

"My blow-up doll only takes baths." Miles deadpanned.

"And that is officially too much information, Straume." Juliet said with a smirk.

Miles smiled, and dramatically mouthed the word _sorry_ before he sat down and began to cut his waffles with his fork. As they'd been talking, the water in the bathroom had been shut off, and they could hear James move to his bedroom to get dressed. They sat in silence for a little while, Juliet sipping her coffee and trying to think of something interesting to talk about, and Miles trying to think of the most delicate way possible to ask his next question. It was potentially a very touchy subject, but one he felt, as James' best friend and partner, he had to address.

"So. Burke." said Miles, swallowing the food in his mouth and preparing another bite for shoveling. "I hear you're still married. What's up with that?"

Juliet stopped moving mid-sip, her eyebrows rising as she tried to halt the flow of the hot liquid. She took the mug away from her lips slowly, swallowing even slower to stall for time.

"I'm sorry to bring it up first thing in the morning like this." said Miles. "I'm just looking out for my buddy. You guys got really close, really fast, and I don't want to see him get hurt."

"I don't want that either." Juliet assured him. "I have a legal separation, and I'm doing everything in my power to get him to agree to a divorce. It's been more than a year now. Believe me, there is no one who wants it to be over more than I do. Especially now."

Miles nodded, satisfied. It wasn't that he doubted what both James and now Juliet had told him. But he wanted to be able to say he'd asked when the time was right.

"My sister always tells me," Juliet went on, "She would keep her cancer over Edmund any day of the week."

Miles laughed once, enjoying the pitch black humor. "Wow. Harsh."

Juliet smirked and shrugged, heavily implying that she didn't disagree with the statement. Miles went back to his waffles, almost done already.

"I appreciate you asking, Miles. You're a good friend."

"I'm a better lover." he quipped. "Ya know...if you ever get bored with Ford here."

"Miles?" came James voice as he appeared in the doorway. "Is it just my bad ear, or did you just ask me to scrub the toilet with your toothbrush?"

Juliet, her back to the doorway, turned to look at him, smiling at the sight and sound. He was leaning on the door jamb, fully dressed, arms crossed, his hair still wet from his shower. God, he was so fucking cute. She could smell the soap from where she was sitting.

"Nope," said Miles. "Just hitting on your girlfriend."

"So, business as usual."

"Oh yeah."

"Well you make sure to finish your milk and kiddy breakfast real soon, or we're gonna be late to work. Don't wanna get a spanking from Abbadon."

"Speak for yourself." Miles said suggestively, standing and tossing his plate in the sink for later. "I'll be ready in a minute, just gotta brush my teeth. And, please: get the makeout out of the way before I get back. I just ate."

James let Miles pass with a simple raise of his eyebrows, and he looked to Juliet as she stood and walked toward him.

"You've got a bad ear?" she asked with concern.

"Perp fired a gun next to my head a few years back." James explained, pointing to his right one. "Hasn't quite been the same since."

"Oh." said Juliet. "Is that why you respond differently when I moan in that one?" she asked, motioning toward his left. Her look of complete innocence didn't last long when she saw his smile.

"Come on, now." said James. "Don't make it harder for me to leave."

"Don't make it harder?" Juliet asked with a wry look, as if she couldn't quite believe he'd let the words slip by.

"Woman," said James, as Juliet put her arms around his waist. "Your mind is as dirty as that mouth."

Juliet chuckled, accepting a kiss when James leaned down to give her one.

"Should I head out too?" Juliet asked him. "I can get dressed if you want to lock up behind me."

"No, stay." James tucked her hair behind her ears. "The door locks from the inside, so you can leave whenever. You can take a shower here if you want."

"I might."

"I am returning to your area!" Miles called out as he walked back from the bathroom. "Please detach!"

Juliet laughed, and she dutifully let go of James' waist, but James would never let Miles win so easily. James took her face in his hands, and gave her a deep, I'm-going-to-miss-you-all-day kiss right as Miles passed them with one hand covering his eyes.

* * *

James watched the road while he was driving to work, but there was something nagging at him. What had Juliet meant when she said Miles was a good friend?

"So what were you and Juliet really talking about in the kitchen?"

_Oops_. thought Miles. He hadn't meant for James to notice that, but he wasn't about to lie or pretend it didn't happen.

"I asked her about her husband."

Like a thunder cloud passing over a sunny sky, James gave Miles a dark look. "Are you serious?"

"I was just making sure-"

"I told you not to bring it up with her."

"It wasn't like that! I didn't grill her. It was a polite conversation, no feathers ruffled."

"Yeah..." James muttered.

"See, this is why I asked. You're so protective of her, your temper's flaring up at nothing. You're not thinking straight."

"Well, what'd she say?" James said testily, interrupting the usual analysis.

"She said Edmund is worse than cancer, and she's doing everything in her power to divorce him." Miles turned to James, leaning closer and making the tone of his voice sickeningly cloying brand of sweet. "Especially now that she has you." James gave him a look, but Miles knew James was smiling somewhere on the inside. "Does she know you're taking the exam today?"

"Nope." said James. "Didn't wanna jinx it. I'll tell her when I pass."

"Such confidence." Miles said, as if there were reason to doubt it. "You should know, even if you pass, I'm going to beat your score."

"In Mario Kart, maybe. Then again, maybe not. Even with a girl in my lap I still beat Baby Mario."

"Fuck you." Miles sang.

* * *

When Juliet arrived home, Rachel was up and feasting on all sorts of baked goods.

"I gotta eat while I still have an appetite, right?" Rachel said with a good natured smile. Juliet chuckled sadly, wishing she could be that upbeat about the sickness. When she sat down at the kitchen table, Rachel leaned over and sniffed her shoulder. "You smell like man soap." she teased, to which Juliet smiled slyly. "Oh," said Rachel. "You got a phone call a little while ago. A guy named Richard Alpert, calling from Mittelos Labs. I think it's about a job. The note's on the counter."

"Mittelos?" said Juliet, getting up to go take a look. "I've never heard of them. Did he say how he knew of me?"

"No," Rachel said regretfully. "I didn't think to ask. I just assumed everyone would know who my amazing sister is."

Juliet smiled at Rachel, then looked at the phone number this mysterious Richard Alpert left. "I don't recognize the area code..."

"I looked it up; it's Miami."

"Hm." Juliet said curiously. Now she was very intrigued.

* * *

_OMG YOU GUYS, don't worry, this is nothing island related. I just thought I'd throw in a familiar character to spur the upcoming drama. Just a little drama, I promise! This is the fluffy one, remember? ;D_


	10. Just To Cuddle

_A/N: Jeez, took me long enough didn't it? Please enjoy this T-rated (for language) chapter of Her BF, and thanks for waiting. suliet4eva. :)_

* * *

"I might get a medical marijuana card this time around." Rachel announced during lunch. "The doctor you said looked like an Oompa Loompa said it wouldn't be a problem." Juliet grinned and chuckled. She'd been waiting for Rachel to bring that up again. "Gotta love California." Rachel added.

"How do you feel today?" Juliet asked her.

Rachel shrugged. "Well enough. Considering."

Juliet nodded and went back to her salad. Rachel noticed she'd been a little quiet since they'd met up. Not unusual for Juliet, but Rachel knew the difference between not having much to say and being consumed by private thoughts. It was all in her eyes.

"What about you? What's on your mind?" Rachel asked her, gently, but making it clear she knew there was something her sister needed to share. Juliet gave a tired chuckle, knowing she'd been found out.

"I called that Richard guy back." she finally admitted.

"And?" Rachel prompted her, a little confused by Juliet's attitude. She could think of two possibilities - the call had gone badly, which would have been a blow to Juliet's still fragile self esteem, or the call had gone well...and had been analyzed and picked apart until Juliet had deemed herself not worthy of the opportunity. Either way, Rachel was preparing a stern pep talk, and she was surprised when it turned out to be neither.

"And..." said Juliet "The job sounds amazing. It's everything I've ever wanted, I'm more than qualified, and they want me even though I've been out of the field for a few years."

"...But?" Rachel prompted her again, and they both cracked up at the need for another conjunction. Juliet looked at her sister and smiled sheepishly.

"Mittelos Bioscience is in Miami." said Juliet. "And so is the job."

"Ahh," Rachel sighed, nodding as if she understood.

"We're just about to start your treatment - "

"We haven't even decided on a treatment yet, Jules."

"And all of your doctors are based in LA - "

"We could find new doctors..."

"Rachel. It's just a job. There will be others."

"Juliet." Rachel said, in the same patronizing tone her sister had used. "How often do you use the phrase 'it's everything I've ever wanted'?"

"Do the times I say it about food count?"

Rachel chuckled. "No." she said, and Juliet shrugged in response, a shy smile doing nothing to hide the worry. "But I'm not the only reason, am I?" Rachel asked.

Juliet stared down at her salad. She was pushing a few leaves around in the salad dressing, with no intention of eating any more of it. She knew what Rachel was getting at, but she'd foolishly thought the sick sister thing would have been enough.

"It's stupid, isn't it?" Juliet asked suddenly.

"What," said Rachel. "Using me as an excuse to give up a dream job in Miami, or thinking that James isn't reason enough to stay in LA?"

"Well obviously I'm going to go wherever we can get the best treatment for you, Rach."

"But let's pretend for just a moment that I'm perfectly healthy, and the only problem with this job in Miami is that you might have to give up your relationship with James. Would that change things?"

Juliet poked a tiny cherry tomato with her fork, making a game out of trying to get a tine through its skin before the tomato rolled away, and making it more than obvious that she'd been struggling with these ideas for a while now.

"Sometimes it feels like we've already been together for years." she said. "That's how comfortable I feel with him. But then I remember it's only been a few weeks, and the last time I gave up having my own career for a man...well, we both know how that turned out." Juliet sighed, finally dropping her fork as she sat back in her chair. "It always has to happen all at once, doesn't it?" she said, knowing Rachel wouldn't be insulted by including her sickness in that statement.

"How about this," said Rachel. "We're having dinner with James and Miles tonight. I'll meet him then and decide whether he's worth it, okay?"

Juliet chuckled. "Okay, Rachel. We'll do that."

"If I find out he's a total prick," Rachel continued. "We'll pick out a house in Miami tonight. And if he really is the Prince Charming you say he is-"

"I never said Prince Charming." Juliet said, interrupting with lighthearted indignance. "He's more like...James Bond from Alabama."

"Oh, wow." Rachel said, a little jealous from that description alone. She also knew every detail that went along with it. "Still, as your sister I feel a responsibility to tell you to at least give the guy from Mittelos a chance."

"I already have plans to meet with him." Juliet assured her.

"Oh, when is that?"

"He's going to be in LA in a few weeks, for a conference at the hospital."

"Your hospital?"

"Edmund's hospital, yes." Juliet corrected her, since he acted like he owned the place.

"Did you ever find out how he'd heard of you?"

"He said he read my doctoral thesis." Juliet said, eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Why is that so hard to believe?"

"It's not, it's just...new. There are people out there that know my work."

"People that weren't warned off by Edmund and his goons." Rachel added. "See? He's got no power over you."

"Yeah, I only have to travel three thousand miles away to be free of his influence." Juliet answered, her sarcasm clear even without the smirk.

* * *

At the very same time that Rachel and Juliet were speaking of that devil, he was being staked out - or stalked, depending on the point of view - by two of the toughest, smartest cops on the force. They liked to think so, at least.

"Are you sure this is decaf?" Miles asked James. He took the lid off of his coffee cup and stared into the last few sips, as if he could divine the amount of caffeine just by looking at it.

"I told the woman behind the counter what you wanted, Princess." said James, taking another sip from his own cup. "Whether it's decaf or not, it's a little late to complain about it."

"When is it ever too late for me to complain, about anything?"

"What an astute observation, Straume. I don't know why they even made you take the sergeant's exam when it's so obvious you should be Lieutenant already. Colonel, even."

"Honestly, how do you think you did?" Miles asked, skipping over the sarcastic digs and bringing the topic back to the exam.

"No fuckin' clue. " James answered honestly.

"And you still haven't told Juliet you even took it at all?"

"I told you, I'll tell her when I pass."

"Keeping secrets already, oh boy. This is headed for disaster, Ford. _Disaster_."

"Shut up, here he comes." said James, suddenly more alert after seeing Edmund leave his sattelite office for lunch.

"Let's see, The Asshole is leaving his office at...1300 hours, for lunch or a..." Miles trailed off when he got a better look at Edmund. "Dude, seriously? Juliet actually agreed to have sex with that? I am so disturbed by this development."

"Don't remind me." James muttered as Edmund got into his car, the door closed behind him by the valet. They both watched him peel out into the street, well on his way to breaking the speed limit while the valet was left in the dust.

"He doesn't tip either, apparently." Miles remarked.

"Fuckin' douchebag." James kept muttering, slowly turning the key in the ignition of their unmarked police car and preparing to follow him.

"The douchiest of bags." Miles added.

Unfortunately, the traffic prevented Edmund from doing anything worse than running through a few yellow lights. They tailed him all the way to a different medical building, where he parked and went inside. James parked halfway down the block, prepared to wait for his eventual exit.

"If I'd known I'd be spending all afternoon in a car with you I wouldn't have had three burgers for lunch." said Miles. "Sorry."

James chuckled in spite of himself, and in spite of the smell. "Do you think Abbadon would notice if I replaced you with a trained monkey, Straume?"

"Of course he would. He would derive no pleasure in torturing the monkey the way he tortures me. Hey, remind me again what the hell we're waiting for The Asshole to do?"

"Anything suspicious."

"Right. And then what?"

"What do you think, Sherlock?" James asked harshly. "Start givin' him tickets, bug him at inconvenient times. Let him know there's someone watching him. What, you think I'm going too far?"

"I'm just saying, maybe you should just take a step back and enjoy this thing with Juliet without interfering in the divorce drama. If he catches us and gets pissed off enough to use his evil prick powers, it's only going to get you in trouble. With Juliet too. And just for your information, a trained monkey couldn't give advice like that."

James sighed, and stared at the front of the offices that Edmund had disappeared into. Beverly Hills was pretty far out of the way of their normal routes, and Lt. Abbadon would raise more than a stern eyebrow if James came to him with some random or exaggerated charge for a slick doctor whose wife he just happened to be dating. James may have been the golden boy at work, but only because he didn't bring bullshit like that back to the office.

"You really think she'd be mad at me?" James asked his friend, eyes still on the front door.

"I was joking before about keeping secrets, but, yeah. In general, women don't like it when you stalk their husband without their express permission."

"God dammit, Miles." James said, sitting up slowly to turn the car on. "Since when are you right about anything?"

"Your mind's clouded, Ford. By whatever you do when my precious headphones are on."

"It's clouded by more than that." James admitted, still staring at the building even though the car was idling. "You just pick the damnedest times to give good advice."

"Maybe I'm just waiting for Juliet to realize she's into mopey Asians. And I'd never forgive myself if I let you piss off Juliet enough for her to go back to _that_."

"That's not gonna happen."

"Come on, men have done far worse and gotten their wives back. We've seen it a million times."

"She left him a year ago. This ain't a rebound thing."

"Aw, she must be that one in a - "

"Ya see, look at that. He's got some other chick on his arm." James cut Miles off as Edmund suddenly emerged, his hand on the lower back of a leggy blonde who was at least half his age, possibly less. "Why the hell doesn't he just let her go?"

"Must be the thrill of being The Asshole." Miles mused. Edmund was helping the blonde into his car, and Miles could tell James was angry on Juliet's behalf by the way he gripped the steering wheel.

"Alright, we're leavin'." James said abruptly. "Before I run him off the road."

"And I had "The Heat Is On" all cued up and everything. You've lost the passion, old man."

"Nah, I've just directed it elsewhere." James said as he looked over his shoulder and pulled into traffic. "You still up for dinner tonight?"

"You said Juliet's sister is going to be there, right?"

"Yeah, and she's gettin sick, so no cancer jokes, alright?"

"Oh shit." Miles said, in all seriousness. "That sucks."

"Yeah. I guess it's her second round too."

"Fuck, man...that's how my mom died."

"I remember." James said respectfully. They watched the streets and sidewalks as James drove, traveling in thoughtful silence, both wondering how the night would go, until Miles spoke up again.

"Is she hot?" Miles asked.

"Haven't met her yet."

"But she's Juliet's sister, so..."

James didn't take the bait, but a few moments later he said "Mopey Asians, huh?"

Miles chuckled. "Can you get us back to work, already? Before Abbadon docks our pay?"

* * *

The dinner was going well, even better than everyone had hoped. Once James and Miles realized that Rachel had a sense of humor, it was joke after joke, promising a night full of embarrassing stories and laughter. Then Juliet noticed Rachel growing quiet, which really wasn't like her at all. She was starting to feel sick again. _Fuck you, cancer._ the women thought. Eventually, wanting to lay in a dark, silent room won out over social obligation, and Rachel had to admit she wasn't feeling well, cutting the lovely evening short. The men both knew that Rachel was sick, and they tried not to be too obvious as they allowed her an easy exit with no teasing, which wasn't like them at all either.

"You want me to come with you?" James offered quietly once Rachel was in the passenger seat of Juliet's car. "Miles can pick me up later."

"No," said Juliet. "Rachel is really self-conscious about things like this, I think it's better if it's just us two. But I appreciate you asking."

"Call me if you change your mind?"

Juliet nodded, even though she thought it would be the last they saw of each other for the night.

"Good night." she said, leaning toward him to kiss him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

In the car, on the way home, Rachel's strong and easy-going facade was crumbling. For Juliet's sake she tried to fight the tears, but they'd been so damned polite; Miles pulling out her chair so she could stand up, James telling her it was great to finally meet her and see that all of Juliet's best traits must be genetic. _He is so Prince Charming,_ Rachel had said before they left, giving her seal of approval right in front of James. Rachel's chin trembled now, because she suddenly felt like couldn't even make it through one dinner anymore.

"Rachel, what's wrong?" Juliet said, her voice clear and stern in her worry. Rachel almost laughed; Juliet sounded so authoritative and doctor-like when she spoke that way.

"Fuck, Jules." Rachel said instead. "I don't want to be sick again." Juliet glanced at Rachel, who covered her face with her hand as she started to cry. The strong, protective side of Juliet kicked in, steeling herself against the exact same feeling that Rachel was finally giving in to, and she made a plan to get her home, get her in bed and comfort her however she could until Rachel cried it out for the night.

Juliet rubbed her sister's back until Rachel fell asleep, at which point she left Rachel's bed and got into her own. She had no intention of falling asleep, but her mind was too occupied to do anything else besides stare at the dark ceiling of her own room. Her mind was racing, and the strength she'd summoned to comfort her crying sister was fading slowly like adrenaline from her system, being replaced by paranoid thoughts and worries. Had Rachel ever been this bad before chemo the first time around? Had she been ignoring her symptoms, hoping they'd go away on their own, and was it now too late to effectively treat her? Was Rachel really that much of an anti-hypochondriac, to think she could will her illness away through sheer denial?

_Get a grip, Juliet._ she told herself. _All you can do is wait until the next doctor's appointment. Worrying isn't going to do either of you any good._

But Rachel had finally broken down, and it had shaken Juliet to the core. Before tonight she'd just had to worry about Rachel's body, and now it was her emotional state too.

_She'll be fine in the morning. She'll smile and tell me she was just having a girly moment. She'll be lying but I'll pretend to believe her. _

This was it, the worst part for Juliet. The eggshells, playing mother until Rachel got frustrated and only wanted a friend. Playing the part to keep Rachel happy.

_Fuck, Rach. I don't want you to be sick either._

She also didn't want to be alone. Juliet glanced at the glowing blue numbers on her clock for the millionth time. Every minute she let pass made her anxiety grow. Every minute she let pass without calling him brought her further away from picking up the phone, but she ended up dialing his number anyway. He must have had his phone by his side, because he picked up during the first ring.

"Hey, baby." he said, still wide awake. To her longing ears, he sounded happy, curious, and relieved to hear from her. _All that from a two word greeting? Am I delerious?_ Juliet wondered.

"Hey." she said, the sweet feeling of relief she felt at hearing his voice tinged with lingering anxiety about what she wanted to ask him. In her heart, she felt it was a test. If he really wanted her as bad as she wanted him, he'd say yes.

"You okay?" he asked her in the meantime.

"Not really, no." she said, her voice weakening. She was afraid she'd sound pathetic or weak, but at that moment all she wanted to do was melt into his arms, and that desire was stronger than her pride. "Can you come over, James?"

There was a short pause, after which Juliet realized James had been getting up off the bed or the couch so he could leave the apartment.

"I'm headin' out the door now." he said.

* * *

Juliet waited at the door until she saw his car pull up outside. She walked out in her pajamas, her arms crossed against the outside chill, and got in the passenger side to sit beside him. She sat forward in the seat, facing him, looking into his eyes with a tired and grateful expression.

"Thank you." said Juliet. "For coming over this late."

"I meant what I said." said James. "You can call me any time. For anything."

Juliet's mouth scrunched into a half smile, all she could muster now that she felt safe enough to be vulnerable again. She leaned toward him, placing a hand on his cheek as she kissed him. His lips felt extra soft, extra warm, making her realize exactly how much she'd been missing them. Feeling better already - steady, at least - Juliet leaned back and stroked his cheek. Even his rough stubble was a comfort.

"Felt weird goin' to bed without you anyway." he admitted, taking her hand and kissing her palm.

"It felt weird for me too." she said, clasping his palm as they let their hands drop between them. "I'd invite you in, but she's finally asleep. I don't want her to feel awkward."

"Understood." James said with a nod.

They'd been spending most nights together, at his place, in the month they'd been dating. It might have felt like more of a pain in the ass for Juliet to be away from her home every night, away from all her stuff, but they'd fallen into a comfortable rhythm, and they were far from being ready to find a place together. James was still getting used the whole healthy relationship thing, and Juliet still needed independence, not to mention the duty she felt she had to take care of Rachel.

The car was silent, both of them watching their hands while Juliet played with the knuckle on James' pointer finger. Independence didn't have to mean distance.

"You're sitting too far away." Juliet said quietly, the half smile returning.

"Hop in back." James said, tilting his head in that direction. "We can cuddle." he added, the sweetness cut by just enough sarcasm to make the word sound natural coming out of his mouth. Juliet's smile widened at the suggestion and she released his hand so she could crawl between the seats.

"You're lucky I don't work at the precinct anymore." she said, making room for him so he could make his way back next to her. "If they knew Detective Ford was a cuddler..."

"I'd lose my badge, Blondie." James warned her. "Don't you dare."

Juliet chuckled as they settled into one another. It was true; he was someone she could run to, at full speed, knowing he would open his arms and hold her when she needed him to, kiss her when she needed him to, touch her when she needed him to. That would make her decision about Miami, if she even got to a point where she had to make one, even harder. And James, knowing it wasn't the time to tell her about the sergeant's exam anyway, could feel she trusted him, that maybe she was beginning to rely on him, which was something he wanted very much though he was far from admitting it. He didn't want to let her down if he'd scored badly and that fast track to a promotion never came his way.

"I think when she gets healthy again I'm going to find my own place." Juliet said, resting her head on his shoulder, and her hand on his stomach near the hem of his t-shirt.

"It's about time for me to find my own place too." said James. "Miles is damn near housebroken."

James felt her body move when she gave him a tiny giggle, but she got quiet again after that, still shaken by the night Rachel spent crying. She'd said when, but somewhere deep inside, the fear wondered whether it was a when, or an if.

"I'm sorry if I won't be able to spend as much time with you as we have been." Juliet told him. "Or as many nights. It's going to get worse before it gets better."

"You don't have to apologize." said James. "Your sister had dibs before I came along."

"Still. I'm going to try to make time for you. Just don't take it personally if I can't spend the night. Things like that."

"I'll take whatever I can get." James reassured her. "Even if it's the back seat of my car, in the middle of the night." He held her closer, getting his mouth close to her ear so he could whisper. "Even if it's just to cuddle."

Juliet smiled and gave him a squeeze. He must have trusted her a whole lot to say something so corny. She'd never tell.


	11. Three Words

_A/N: Despite my original author's note, this story is strictly AU now. I started it before the series ended, you see. I just wanted to assure everyone that Richard Alpert has nothing to do with the island, and everything he says about Mittelos can be taken at face value. Enjoy!_

* * *

Two weeks later, Juliet met Richard Alpert for lunch in the same restaurant in which she and James had encountered Edmund. She'd heard through the grapevine that her hopefully-soon-to-be ex-husband was out of town on a business trip, so she felt a little better about meeting Alpert at the hospital. She wouldn't have minded making Edmund insanely jealous again, but it was safer professionally to keep this business meeting from him. Now there was less chance he would find out and sabotage her, or put Mittelos itself out of business.

Alpert laid it out for her very simply. Mittelos Bioscience was looking for the best of the best, and Juliet's name was at the top of their list. Their facilities were brand new, they were privately funded by a family whose great-great-great-great-grandchildren would die before they ran out of money, and their goals were not for fame and fortune (well, not _only_ for fame and fortune), but for the betterment of mankind. It sounded way too good to be true, and Juliet called him on it more than once, but Mr. Alpert carried himself with the perfect mix of confidence and humility. It made her want to believe in Mittelos, that she actually had a chance at being part of something amazing, but even if she did there would still be a few things keeping her from saying yes. The project they needed her for was planned for eight months, with the possibility of expansion and a much longer period of study.

"Were you expecting an answer today?" Juliet asked him. "There are a few things going on in my life right now that make this not as simple as it could be."

"You're referring to your sister's cancer?"

Juliet had actually been thinking about Rachel _and_ James, but the fact that Alpert already knew about one of them distracted her. Her eyes narrowed, and Alpert started backpedaling.

"Your last stretch of research, before you joined the LAPD, was so heavily concentrated on her last bout-"

"You do remember that I wasn't able to complete the study?"

"At Mittelos, you will be." Richard assured her, with a sincere smile and a confident nod. "With your mind and our resources, you will be successful."

"But you feel the need to use my sister as leverage."

"Not at all." Richard said in a rush to correct his mistake. "I just wanted to reassure you that there are programs in Miami that would suit her needs perfectly. I don't mean to pressure you at all. I just want you to understand that we have taken everything we can into account. You and your family will be taken care of."

"Speaking of family," Juliet said carefully. "Since you know about my sister, you're probably aware of who my husband is."

Richard's smile was somewhat sheepish. It seemed that both he and Juliet had been avoiding that subject. "Yes, we are aware of Edmund Burke."

"And are you aware that we are legally separated and I'm trying my hardest to divorce the little bastard?"

Richard's smile deepened. Well, now that they were being honest...

"Edmund Burke has no sway over the decisions of Mittelos Bioscience. In fact, in the opinion of the company, he's...nobody."

"This might come off as petty, Mr. Alpert, but...god, it feels good to hear somebody say that."

Richard chuckled at her reaction. He became quiet as an idea occurred to him, a change in the style of his pitch. He shifted in his seat, and leaned forward slightly. Juliet could tell she was holding the cards. Alpert really wanted her to come work for him.

"I understand if you can't make a decision right now." he said. "We don't have many other candidates, and you are definitely our first choice. I'm not supposed to tell you this, but we won't be deciding for another month or so. If you tell me right now there is absolutely no way you'd ever say yes, and you decide in a month that you've changed your mind, the offer will still be open. Is that fair?"

Juliet almost laughed, but it wouldn't have been derisive. She just wasn't used to being treated like such a catch, at least not on the career side of things. James had that pretty well covered on the personal side.

"I'd say that's more than fair, Mr. Alpert."

"Please, call me Richard."

Juliet smiled. "Alright. Richard." He smiled back at her, and their agreement was made. They finished lunch while talking about more pleasant things, like what Richard should do in Los Angeles when he wasn't busy with the conference he was really in town for. Maybe it was foolish of Juliet to not expect it, but she realized too late that explaining the current state of her marriage had created a potentially awkward moment.

"If you're free, I'd love to have a tour guide." said Richard. "And if you're not up for that, then maybe I could just...take you out to dinner?"

"I'm..." Juliet started and trailed off. The paranoid side of her, the cynical side that had developed as a result of being professionally fucked over by Edmund so many times, thought for a moment that Richard might think that it was part of the deal. She thought for a moment that, for the sake of her career, maybe she shouldn't mention she was taken. Then she remembered that no job was worth that. If he wanted Juliet for the job, he wanted her for the job without special conditions on her part. And he did. He was already giving her a month to decide.

"I'm seeing someone." she said simply. "So I think we should stick to lunches."

Richard smiled, and it was still genuinely warm. "Well. Whoever it is, he's a very lucky man."

They got up to leave, and he made a comment that would stick in Juliet's head the rest of the day.

"Maybe I'll meet him, if he follows you to Miami."

_If he follows me._

She hadn't thought of that.

* * *

A few hours earlier that morning, James had gone into work early to catch up on the ever growing pile of paperwork that sat on his desk. When Lt. Abbadon walked in, he didn't nod silently in greeting as he always did. Instead, he strolled over to Detective Ford's desk, a strangely pleased smile on his normally serious face.

"Congratulations, Sergeant." Abbadon said.

It wasn't official yet, but that was confirmation enough for James. He kept a straight face around Abbadon, accepting a quick handshake as he thanked him in a professional manner.

"Stay on the right track, Ford." Abbadon told him needlessly. "You could have my job one day."

Soon after, Abbadon walked back to the big office in the corner. Miles came in seconds later, sunglasses still on and a gigantic paper cup of coffee in his hand.

"Fuuuuck, I am hung over." Miles croaked. He flopped down in his chair and blew the air out of his lungs like he'd just had three breakfast platters in a row.

"Out with Jenkins again? Celebrating a little early, were we?"

"Celebrating...?" Miles said slowly, his jaw a bit slack as he tried to decipher the meaning behind the words.

"Say hello to your future boss, little man." James taunted him, even though nothing was set in stone yet.

Miles sat up with a start. "The results came in? You made it?"

"Nothing official, but Abbadon himself came over to pat me on the back. He even shook my hand."

"And you'll never wash that hand again." said Miles, shaking his head slowly. "Seriously though, congrats, man. You deserve it."

"Don't count yourself out." James said, just as Miles was pretending to sneeze while he coughed the words _goody two-shoes!_ James sighed, and gave him the look of a disappointed parent. Miles held up his hand, holding his first finger up as if to ask for just a second. He looked as if he needed to sneeze again, but when he let it loose all James heard was _cocksucker!_ hidden in another cough. James chuckled, smiled, and crossed his arms over his proud chest.

"Is my rampant success in both the personal and professional areas of my life givin' you a complex?"

"No, no, I'm just," Miles motioned toward James' general direction. "Allergic to your face right now."

"Straume." Abbadon's voice barked from the corner office.

"Yes, sir?" Miles whipped the sunglasses off and turned in his chair, and it was obvious to James that the sudden movement took his hangover headache to new heights.

"Congratulations." Abbadon said, slightly less happy about Miles' victory than he was about his boy James, but still proud that someone else on his team scored well.

"Thank you, sir." Miles said as Abbadon once again retreated to his office. Miles turned very slowly back to James, and spread his arms in victory. "Never first...but never far behind. In your _face_, Grandpa."

"He was a humble man," James said, reading Miles' imaginary obituary out loud. He picked his phone up off the desk and pressed a few buttons. "But he died of complications arising from a horrible case of syphilis he picked up from a tranny hooker..."

"Who are you calling?" Miles asked, ignoring him and being nosy as usual. "Are you ordering a skywriting plane in honor of me? Or a cake for Juliet to jump out of when the precinct throws me a huge party for acing the easiest sergeant's exam of all time? I mean, since _you _did so well..."

James put a finger up to his mouth, calling for quiet. "Hey." he said to Juliet. "I'm takin' you out for dinner tonight...it's a surprise...Yeah, real fancy..."

James chuckled at something Juliet said. Miles sighed, put his sunglasses back on and slouched down in his chair. James chuckled again, and said "Even better...I will, don't you worry...see you tonight."

"Iloveyoupookie!" Miles shouted in a rush as James took the phone away from his ear, but alas, the connection had already been severed.

"Straume, if I ever hear the word 'pookie' coming out of your mouth again..."

* * *

James cleaned himself up after work, and drove over to Juliet's place to pick her up. When she opened the door, she looked like she had on the night of their first date.

"Mm..." James said, looking her up and down with obvious approval.

"You said fancy, Detective." said Juliet in mock defense. "Doctor Burke does not mess around."

"She most certainly does not." James agreed. They walked to his car, and Juliet let herself in the passenger side. By the time James made it into the driver's seat, he found Juliet looking at him with a sly expression on her face.

"They didn't have one that said sergeant." said Juliet, holding up a toy badge that had the words _Junior Sherriff_ embossed into its plastic gold surface. "But I think this looks more realistic than the one you already have."

James turned away and laughed, giving Juliet a sideways glance and smirk before he shook his head and turned back to her. Juliet grinned.

"Miles told you?" James asked her.

"I asked him for a hint." she replied. "He told me you'd done really really well on an exam, and I put two and two together."

"Damn." said James, turning and shaking his head for overly dramatic effect.

Juliet put her hand on his arm, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "I'm so excited for you," she said.

"God damn..." James kept muttering. "Ruined my big surprise..."

Juliet cracked up at James' feigned frustration. "You should be very proud of yourself." she said. She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, and she could see his dimples when she leaned back.

"It's not official yet." he reminded her modestly.

"You'll get the title." Juliet said with confidence. James smiled appreciatively, and moved his hand to turn the keys in the ignition. Juliet put her hand over his to stop him. "Are you really hungry right now?" she asked.

James shrugged. "I could eat." he said non-commitally. "Then again, I can always eat. Why?"

"...I really want to have sex with you right now."

James kept his hand on the keys. "Your place or mine?"

"You can come inside. Rachel was feeling good so she went out with some friends."

"Why didn'tcha say so?" James said with a grin. "I would have gotten us some take-out."

"I still want to have a special night out," said Juliet. "I just-"

She paused, since James was already out of the car and closing the door. Juliet let herself out, and they met on the sidewalk. "I missed you." she finished. James put an arm around her waist and kissed her as they walked back to Juliet's apartment. It had been a few days since they'd been able to see each other, and a phone call to say goodnight wasn't the same as having a warm body in bed. One night apart and each missed the sound of the other's voice. After three nights apart, pressing their naked bodies against each other was all either of them could think about.

James undressed her like he was unwrapping a gift, like he wasn't already familiar with what was underneath her dress, behind her strapless bra and inside the soft pair of panties he slipped down her legs. He touched her and looked at her like it was their first time, and he paid attention to all the right places like he knew her body by heart.

"I missed you too." he said, kissing her lips while her hands were busy taking his clothes off. Her bedroom smelled like she did, only stronger. Natural and sweet. He'd only been in her apartment a few times, and never for this. It felt like she was letting him in, like he'd entered another part of her life, the way he was about to enter her now. She could feel how hard he was, rubbing against her leg and rubbing against the spot between her legs as they rolled around in bed together, luxuriating in the feeling of warm skin on warm skin. Every time they pressed their hips against one another she'd feel him, and she'd moan, causing him to kiss her harder, squeeze her tighter, and press even closer to her. Finally, when he had her on her back, he pinned her with his waist and reached down between them. Juliet stopped moving, her heart beating fast, and she held still so he could push into her. They both made a sound in their throats, like it was a huge relief to be there again. He moved carefully at first, and she adjusted, and then they fell into a natural rhythm, one that felt good for both of them.

While her body relaxed, Juliet's mind was storming. She couldn't help it. As good as James felt inside of her she still had a lot on her mind. Everything with James was going perfectly. They were so comfortable with each other, it all felt so natural when they were together. He treated her well, told her she was beautiful, his life was on track and he was supportive of her deal with Rachel. A perpetual bachelor had made room in his life for a woman with a complicated life. How could she ever leave him behind? She wasn't too keen on the idea of a long distance relationship, since being together physically was something they both needed, something they both craved on a daily basis. Three days was a long time. Eight months was a lot longer, and a lot could change in that time. Would he come with her? She didn't think he should, his career was taking off. Would he wait for her if he didn't? He was gorgeous, and he knew how to treat a woman, and _god_, he was good in bed. Juliet put her arms around James' waist and felt the muscles in his back. She felt him moving inside of her, pushing in and sliding out again and again, and she forgot for a moment how she'd ever lived without him at all. Stopping to think for that one moment, she felt her body rev up, getting closer to orgasm at the mere idea of being made love to by this man.

Juliet moaned, and she reminded herself that she had a month to decide, that as much could change in one month as it could in eight.

And then he said it. It was in the heat of the moment, but, even though there was a part of Juliet that still hurt from betrayal and didn't trust anyone to truly feel and care for her, the rest of her was so ready to believe him that she almost came just from hearing the words.

"I love you." he said, loud and clear, no whispers or hesitation about it. Juliet cried out, a desperate and involuntary sound as a wave of pleasure shot through her. After twelve years of an empty marriage, at least eight of them being completely meaningless to Edmund, and the last three being meaningless to Juliet, she'd been afraid to set herself up for rejection and disappointment. After twelve years of being neglected and taken for granted by a man she'd eventually come to realize wasn't worth the dirt on his own shoes, she hadn't thought of herself as someone who would be loved back by someone as amazing as James. She'd been telling herself it was too soon to say those three words, because she thought he wouldn't want to hear them from her. Now he'd said them first, and it opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

_Twelve years?_ said the rambling voice in her head. _Fuck your twelve years, this has been the best month of your life._

She stopped hugging him so tight, and he looked into her eyes, searching for a reply. She looked into his eyes and nodded as she answered him.

"I love you." she said. He began to move faster, just the way she liked it. Juliet's eyes closed, and she turned her head as the feeling started building in the very core of her, spreading outward until her whole body was tingling. He could tell something had changed after saying it, so he tried saying it again.

"I love you, Juliet."

He felt fingernails dig into his back, and her thighs tensed up, squeezing him as she got closer. All she had to do was start shaking the way she did, moaning or talking dirty the way she did, and he'd be ready too. "Oh my god..." she whimpered, feeling his lips on her bare neck. She turned her head, forcing his lips back to hers, and they kissed each other hard until it started. "Oh my god," she moaned, rocking her body up and down, the long climax taking over. In the middle of it she could feel the force of this thrusts change, and his body tensed up too. He was done seconds after her, and she took it as a compliment. _Your orgasm made me come._

James laid down, spent, and Juliet rolled onto her side to be closer to him. Both stomachs growled, but they stayed in bed, cuddling up and being even more affectionate than usual.

"Sorry we missed dinner." said Juliet, accepting his arm around her shoulders. James chuckled.

"We'll go out tomorrow night." he reassured her, pulling her closer until she was halfway on top of him. "I'm just glad you said it back." he said.

Juliet hugged him tight. There'd be other job offers, she told herself. Her worries were forgotten for the night.


	12. Deeply, Hopelessly In Love

_A/N: _

_To the readers: I love you. Thanks for showing an interest.  
To the subscribers: I love you sooo much, sorry for making you wait so long!  
To the reviewers, past and future: you ROCK, thank you so so so much for your comments! :D_

_Warning (or should I say you're welcome?) - superrrrsmut ahead. Pretty much half of these 5000 words are smutty. And the rest? Fluff! Enjoy! _

_

* * *

_

The next few weeks passed far too quickly. Juliet continued to look in the Los Angeles area for jobs in her desired field. The community was tight-knit, and Edmund's influence seemed to be everywhere. Just when she thought she had a clear way in, the door would shut in her face and she'd be left wondering if it was even possible to pursue her career in this city, but she never gave up hope. Being with James made it easier, even though Richard's deadline was beginning to loom.

Meanwhile, James made sergeant, and Juliet was there at the ceremony that honored him and the rest that had been given the title. Anyone connected to the precinct that didn't know they were together certainly knew after that. The smiles they gave each other, Juliet's proud gaze and James' adoring one, and the dances they shared at the small reception made even the happiest of married couples jealous.

They had their own dinner to celebrate. Miles and Rachel were invited, their closest friends and family, and Miles took the opportunity to tell the most embarrassing stories he could remember involving James and his early career in the police force. Embarrassing, or at the very least funny.

Rachel and Juliet were still holding back their laughter from the last story, the one in which James and Miles stole all the rookies' clothes while they were showering, forcing the new recruits to wear towels that were not built to cover big, tough cops for more than the short walk from shower to locker.

"Had to show 'em who's boss." said James. His arm was stretched over the back of Juliet's chair, and he caught her eye as she finally got her giggles under control and turned to smirk at him.

Miles nodded, feigning dead-seriousness. "And that was the only way." he insisted.

"I didn't think that ever happened in real life." Juliet teased him.

"Yeah, that's straight out of _Police Academy_," said Rachel, leaning back in her chair. "And it actually sounds pretty innocent coming from you two." She looked from Miles, seated next to her, to James, who was seated across Miles, and back again. Their eyebrows rose slowly, and they regarded her with _oh really?_ expressions before turning to each other.

"Innocent." Miles said in disbelief.

"What exactly are you implying?" James asked her, putting on not-so-innocent airs. He smiled at Juliet, and looked back to Rachel, waiting for the reason she might suspect them of such evil doing.

"Oh, please." Rachel scoffed. "I want to hear a bad one."

"Well," said Miles, looking at James. "There was that one training course, when you shot all the civilian targets in the head..."

Juliet turned to James, her mouth wide open but smiling.

"Now hold on," James interrupted, his whole attitude shifting. "There's more to this story than what Miles is gonna tell you-"

"Notice how he only gets defensive when the story involves him?" Miles asked Rachel. "When I'm the one getting embarrassed, he doesn't care."

"You shot innocent cardboard cutouts?" Juliet asked James, as if she might have been related to one of them. She laughed at his sheepish smirk, and at the way he shifted in his seat.

"I was in a bad mood that day." James said, putting it lightly. Juliet laughed again, and Rachel grinned, shaking her head. "I shot the criminals too!" he assured them.

"James used to have a problem with authority." Miles explained, smirking at his friend who, in embarrassment, couldn't even look at any of them. "The officer running the training program told him he needed to improve his accuracy."

Rachel laughed. "I guess that's one way to do it." she said.

Juliet put her hand on James' leg, rested her chin in her other hand and smiled at him.

"It's hard to imagine you being so naughty, James." she said, the teasing twinkle in her eyes causing James to give her a very meaningful look.

"You really wanna talk about being naughty in front of family?" James asked her, smiling smugly when her eyes opened wide and her lips pressed closer together.

"Uh oh." Rachel said playfully.

"I meant at work!" Juliet insisted.

"Guys," Miles said, in a much more disgusted tone of voice. "Please. There's still food on the table."

"Oh, come on," Rachel scolded him. "They're a cute couple, they're allowed to have their innuendo."

"You wouldn't say that," said Miles. "If you'd heard what I have heard."

"Is _that_ why James never spends the night at our place?" Rachel teased her sister, making Juliet laugh and shake her head. It was Juliet's turn to sheepishly avoid eye contact with any of them.

"Reminds me of your first year of undergrad." said Rachel, smiling mischievously.

"Rachel." Juliet said, turning to her sister and drawing her name out so she'd know she was serious. "_No._"

"When you had to call me from that boy's dorm room..."

"No!" Juliet almost squealed, trying even harder to shut her up with her eyes. The way Rachel said _boy_, there was definitely a story behind it.

"Hey, if she's got dirt, she's gotta share it." James insisted. Juliet moaned, placing her elbows on the table and using both hands to cover her forehead.

"Oh, no," Rachel said, laughing sympathetically with her sister. "I can't, not when she does that."

"That's not fair," said Miles. "We told you everything - !"

James cleared his throat at that declaration, as a playful warning to his friend.

"Almost everything." Miles conceded.

"And now I have to tell the story," said Juliet. "Because your imaginations will run wild if I don't." She gave Rachel a wry look as she said it, since Rachel's backpedaling only made it seem more scandalous. James gave her shoulder a supportive squeeze, and she could only shake her head as she chuckled softly to herself.

"One night," she began in a most begrudging manner. "Early in my freshman year of undergrad, I was at a party, and I had a few too many drinks - as girls that age often do when trying to impress a boy."

"I won't even look at a girl if she's below a point-two." Miles chimed in.

"That's blood alcohol level," James explained. "For the layperson at the table."

"Thank you." Rachel said wryly, though she could have guessed from the context. She turned to Miles after that. "And, ew."

"Well," Juliet said, cutting back in so she could get it over with. Miles chuckled, Rachel smiled, and Juliet continued. "The boy must have been impressed, because we went back to his room, and..." She'd been so sure she could say it, but now that the time had actually come, she couldn't get the words out.

"...And?" James prompted her. Rachel couldn't leave them in suspense any longer. Before Juliet could, Rachel very quickly ended the story.

"And she was so loud, his neighbors called the cops." Rachel burst into laughter, and Juliet covered her face again. Rachel put a hand over her chest, unable to catch her breath. "They thought he was killing her!" she squeaked.

James laughed and hugged Juliet around the shoulders, pulling her to him and kissing the top of her bowed head. "Sounds like you were havin' fun." James murmured into her hair, though Juliet barely noticed through the sound of Rachel laughing.

"It's been fifteen years, Rach." she muttered into her hands, looking up with a red face and a good-natured smirk. "And it has never been funny."

"They nearly broke the door down," Rachel continued, still laughing. "And they were both too loud and too drunk to realize until the whole dorm was gathered outside!"

"That," said Miles. "Does not surprise me at all."

"I am not that bad!" Juliet insisted, referring to more recent activities, even though her reputation with all of them was, at this point, shot.

"He's messin' with ya." James reminded her. She knew by now that Miles would always take any joke to the extreme. That, and James didn't want Juliet to stop making the sounds she made when she was in his bed.

"I'm a cop." Miles said, as a matter of fact. "Does this mean I get to storm into your room every time you're-"

"No, Miles." said Juliet, before James even had the chance. "No, it doesn't." She laughed, finally, though she was still embarrassed.

"Where did you find this guy?" Rachel asked James, pointing at Miles with her thumb.

"Back alley somewhere." James deadpanned. "His picture was on the back of a milk carton. I called his parents, but they didn't want him anymore. So I fed him, clothed him, taught him how to fight crime..."

"Oh, _you_ taught _me_?" Miles asked, indignant.

Juliet grinned and bit her lip as the boys started debating which one of them had always been the other's keeper. She was grateful for the change in subject, and it did not slip by her that the three of them had all deftly changed it for her. Her sister, who'd started it in the first place, her boyfriend, who already knew more about Juliet in bed than Miles and Rachel would ever be able to force from her, and Miles himself, who could have easily begged for more details but didn't, because he knew what James would do to him.

It made her realize how much she loved all three of them. It also made her think about how nice it would be for her and James to have a place of their own...

* * *

When James finished brushing his teeth that night, he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and smiled. He wondered how it came to be that he had a steady girlfriend, one that spent most nights in his bed, and one he found it hard to wake up without after the nights she didn't. She was there in his bed now, in just a t-shirt and her underwear, probably snuggled up underneath the blankets just waiting for him to join her. He realized then how silly it was to stand there staring at himself in the mirror and thinking about her when he could be holding her already. That behavior could no longer be helped. He was deeply, hopelessly, in love with her, and it felt amazing.

Juliet was on her side, her elbow resting on her pillow, and her head resting in her hand. She waited until James appeared in the doorway, in his boxers and nothing else, and she pulled his half of the covers aside. She was indeed in nothing but a t-shirt and her underwear, and she had indeed only been waiting for him to come back to her. She smiled when she saw him, and she looked his body up and down. She wanted to feel those strong, solid thighs between her own. She wanted to sink her teeth into his chest, dig her nails into his broad shoulders and lick each one of his abs. As each thought crossed her mind, her sweet expression transformed into something more seductive.

That sly smile of hers nearly killed him right then and there. It was nine o'clock, Miles was gone for the night and they were already getting into bed. It was going to be a long one.

He walked slowly, taking in the sight. It would always be one of his favorites. The closer he got to the bed, the more he could see of her. The curve of her hip, the specific way it met her waist, the way one leg crossed over the other, hiding the part that laid between them. Her t-shirt was riding up; he could see a patch of her stomach, and the way the shirt hung over her breasts... they may have been covered, but he could still see every detail.

He climbed right in beside her, pulling her as close as possible and going straight for her neck with his kisses. She hummed so softly, and she put both arms around him as he put her on her back. She could feel how hard he worked at the gym. The muscles in his neck and shoulders were taut when he held himself over her. With one hand he reached down, pulled her thigh up and wrapped her leg around his waist, grunting like a caveman as he pressed closer. It made her smile. Through her panties, and through his boxers, she could feel his already rock-hard erection. He rubbed against her, hard, and she thrust her hips up to meet the motion of his. She moaned and sighed; he left a wet spot on her neck, and moved to kiss her mouth. Lips met, their mouths hungry for that feeling. James pressed his tongue inside, tasting deeply, mimicking what he'd do with his cock once he had her all warmed up. She made a sound, a soft cry muted by the thrust of his tongue, and he felt her hand find it's way down between them. She held him against herself, so that he would stay in the right groove when he thrust there too. She sighed, and she moaned again, with each motion. They both looked down between their bodies, at Juliet's thighs tensing as her hips rocked up and down, at the shape of James covered by dark fabric rubbing against the pale pink of Juliet's underwear, and at Juliet's hand, stroking and guiding him as he moved.

"God, I even love dry humping you." James murmured. He smiled, and Juliet giggled softly, and her reaction made him smile wider.

"It's not dry humping when you make me this wet." Juliet whispered. His next thrust was slow but hard, and he kissed her while she moaned. The hand that held her thigh to his side, it slipped further down, around her leg so he could feel exactly how wet she was. The fingertips on that hand touched her where he'd enter her, and found the outside of her panties weren't just soaked, they were slippery. He spread it around, playing with her over her underwear, and she moaned louder. He was harder than before, having felt the effect he had on her. She was drenched, just from grinding her pussy on his cock.

James shifted his hips, taking away the instrument of her pleasure. She was breathing heavy, completely turned on and ready for whatever he wanted to do next. The hand that had touched her tugged on her panties, pulling one side, then the other, alternating until he could pull them down from her legs without tearing them off. He didn't even look; he completed the task by feel alone, and he bowed his head so he could nuzzle and suck at her breasts through her t-shirt while he did it. Once her feet were free of them, he lowered his body further, and her legs fell apart to welcome his face between her thighs. His tongue lapped at her entrance, tasting what had soaked her underwear. She moaned and spread her legs wider, and she held the back of his head gingerly with one hand. Her other arm was bent, and she rested her head on it, turning her face toward her own soft skin as James licked her up, down, and everywhere. She whined, calling out her pleasure in sweet little bursts. He wanted them louder. He wanted her to scream and make the neighbors believe all hell had broken loose in his apartment.

"Don't hold back, baby." said James, between open-mouthed kisses. "I want someone to call the cops on us."

Juliet grinned, trapping the laughter in her stomach. He'd broken the spell, but she loved him for it.

"The only cop I want is already here." She groaned lazily. She propped herself up on her elbow, pushing him away, shoving him onto his back so she could climb on top of him. "And I'm gonna suck his cock." she added in a whisper. James kissed his girlfriend's dirty mouth, and they worked together to get his boxers off. He laid his head down on his pillow and got comfortable, wondering how long he'd last until he had to fuck her. She kissed her way down. Her hair brushed his sides as she crawled backwards, and her hair hid her face until she gathered it all with her forearm and swept it behind her head. So he could see what she was doing.

She took him all in at once, using her hand to cover what wouldn't fit in her mouth, and he throbbed inside of her. His hand cradled the back of her head, another way to feel the motion when she began to move, very slowly, up and down. With her tongue, she lavished his cock with as much attention as he'd given her and then some, and she fought to make his tender touch transform into a fist full of her hair. When that happened, she knew he'd be ready. In the meantime she hummed, she moaned and made sounds like he was delicious and belonged in her mouth. He breathed in uneven patterns, and tried not to get too carried away as thoughts of coming down her throat took over his brain.

"Juliet," he said minutes later, his voice rough but his actions very gentle. "I gotta be inside you."

She understood where. She let him slip out of her mouth, sucking him hard on the way out. She crawled up to meet him, rubbing her whole body against his. He grabbed at her hips, and ran his hands up and down her back. They kissed, and Juliet laid down next to him, on her side. They both took her t-shirt off together, and James pulled on Juliet's thigh so her leg was draped over his waist. They kissed, and Juliet moaned happily. They were only close enough when they were like this, completely naked with their bodies in full contact.

"I love you." she said, the words slipping out so naturally, before she could really think about them. They'd been saying those words a lot lately, and it still felt new. It still gave James that unfamiliar - though nothing less than amazing - feeling when he heard them. The feeling was even stranger, and just as amazing, when he said them himself.

"I love you too, baby." he said, grunting a little as he positioned their bodies. Her panting became more intense when she felt him poking at her, looking for his way in. Some pleasant form of panic seized her, when she realized she was going to be filled by him soon. She cried out, much louder this time, as he pushed his way inside. He made a protective, encouraging sound and kept moving, until their hips were flush and he was inside her completely.

She grabbed his waist, to keep him there for a longer moment, to prevent him from pulling out and thrusting back in before she was ready. She just wanted to feel him, feel every inch.

"You know how good this feels for me?" He spoke to her, his voice low and right in front of her face. Her eyes were closed, and she forced them open so she could look into his eyes. He was looking back at her, and the intensity made her inner muscles clench. "You know how much I love being inside you?" He didn't pull out, but he pushed his hips against her, trying to get even deeper. Everything was deep - his voice, her moans, the feelings that stirred when they were physically connected. Juliet's hand clutched at his hip, but James was stronger, and he pushed her hip away so he could pull out. He rocked back into her, as gentle as he could make himself be, and her eyes slipped closed again. She laid her head down fully on the pillow, and then buried her face in the crook of James' neck, shouting a moan at his chest as he began to fuck her slowly. The hand she held at his waist let go, relinquishing control, and he thrust up into her a little harder. She let her hand rest on his abs in front of hers, feeling them tense as he worked his hips. Her mouth opened wide, and her tongue came out to lick his neck. She moaned again, louder, and almost bit him.

James closed his eyes and groaned, concentrating fully on the feeling of being that deep inside of her. The way she adjusted to him, her body accomodating his presence as he invaded her space...but she wanted him there, and as much as he pushed, her body also drew him in.

For Juliet sometimes it felt like too much, the way he filled her so completely. The idea, as much as the feeling, overwhelmed her. "You feel so good, James..." she moaned against the thick muscles on his neck. "So good..." she whimpered, desperate but unable to express all she was feeling in words.

She lifted her head, searching for his mouth. She was suddenly ravenous for it. She attacked him with her kiss, and he really thrust into her hard, moving faster after hearing her say the words. He could feel her breasts moving against his chest as he rocked her body. She'd wrapped her arm around his torso, and she held him like her leg held his waist. It was like cuddling and fucking at the same time, as intimate and dirty as they wanted to make it. She broke the kiss, squeezed him and moaned, climbing higher at the very thought. Being so close, moving against him, she was experiencing a wonderful friction. She could feel him everywhere.

"You gonna come for me?" James said, low and in her ear, reading the signs her body was giving him.

She nodded, her voice louder than she expected when she answered him. "Yeah," she said. "God, yes..."

She was near silent after that, holding her breath as she let the feeling spread inside of her. Then, her own private supernova hit her, and she gasped before the shouting moans began. Holding her tight in his arms, he felt the motion of her body shift and change, from that desperate up and down rocking to the shake of an intense orgasm. There were times he couldn't believe he'd been the one to make her feel that way. No one else he'd ever been with came like that. It blew his mind every time.

It blew Juliet's mind just the same, because no one she'd been with made her come the way she did for James. With her shakes subsiding, she could concentrate on his pleasure again, making sure he got off as completely as she did.

"That feel good, baby?" he murmured, taunting her since he already knew the answer. He'd felt the whole thing right along with her.

"Yes," she answered, her voice soaked in emotion and the orgasm that still wasn't completely over. "Yesyesyes..." she muttered until their mouths fused. He thrust into her, faster, and he felt her tense all her muscles, squeezing him everywhere - her arms, her legs, and especially inside. It made him stop kissing her so he could grunt out loud. He felt himself losing control, the primal need to hump the living daylights out of her taking over. He pushed her onto her back, their bodies still pressed as close together as possible, and he started a steady push with his hips, harder, faster than before.

"James," she panted, overwhelmed again by the power they had over each other. She held him close, and she rested her cheek on his shoulder while he buried his face in the pillow behind her head. She kept tensing and releasing the muscles in her thighs. He couldn't fucking take it when she did that.

"Juliet," he croaked, grunting with every quick thrust. He made her shout again, a sharp cry every time he slammed into her. Her moaning deepened when he suddenly slowed down, his thrusting shallow as he started to come inside of her. Her arms hugged him around his torso, her face still tucked neatly on his shoulder, and she relaxed her legs and pelvis, focusing on the warmth she felt from him.

"I love you so much." she sighed. The sound of her voice made his hips jerk. She took it with a softer cry, He was still now, save for the involuntary shakes of his body as it finished emptying itself into her. They were coming further and further apart, until he was done and he stopped thrusting for good. She held him in place, pulling him deeper inside of her and they laid that way for a while. He let his weight rest on top of her body, and she didn't complain. They breathed, and held each other, still feeling every inch of skin, the pressure and the heat.

James kissed Juliet's neck. She responded by doing the same, and soon their lips found each other, sharing soft afterglow kisses. James slipped out of her and flopped onto his back. Juliet rested her head in the crook of his arm, her legs still spread at an angle that would accomodate him if he'd still been on top of her. James took a very deep breath, and the sound he made when he exhaled, letting it all out at full force, made Juliet grin. Her accompanying chuckle caught his attention, and he smiled at the ceiling.

"I think I just had a religious experience." he told her.

Turning her head to the side, a slight stretch to squeeze more pleasure out of her body, Juliet chuckled again. Then she turned toward James, draping her leg over one of his legs, and her arm over his chest. Her face found a home pressed against his neck, and he pulled her closer.

"I love you so much back." he replied belatedly, stroking the skin on her arm. With a pleased smile she snuggled closer still, feeling she might melt down completely if she didn't hold on to him tight enough.

"James..." she said sweetly, making it sound like she was going to shower him with more heartfelt affection. "...Where are your handcuffs?" she asked, in the same innocent tone.

His eyebrows went up as she lifted her head from his shoulder, and a smile he couldn't control made his dimples deeper than she'd ever seen them before. He shifted his head so he could look at her. Juliet maintained her innocent expression, and the uncontrolled chuckle that escaped James' throat almost sounded nervous. "That depends on who's puttin' 'em on." he said. She grinned. "If you want to put 'em on _me_," James said slowly. "Then I left 'em at the office. If I'm puttin' 'em on _you_...well, there might be a pair in my bedside drawer over there."

Juliet smiled, and gave James a kiss on the cheek before she laid back down. "They were for you." she explained. He chuckled under his breath, and squeezed her frame against his body.

"I'm not goin' anywhere," he said. "If that's what you're worried about."

Juliet laid with her eyes open, now deep in thought. No, it wasn't _his _departure she feared.

"Okay," he said, folding quickly. "I'll let you cuff me if you tell me what's on your mind."

Juliet smiled again, her worry cut with surprise. He was half joking, but he'd been able to sense that something was wrong. It pleased her on a deep level, in the center of her heart, to know he knew her that well. She didn't want to ruin their perfect post-coital moment, but so immediate and accurate was his concern, she couldn't help but share one of the topics on her mind.

"Well." she murmured.

It wouldn't be the one that weighed most heavily. She still couldn't bring herself to open that one up.

"Embarrassing stories aside," she said. "I wasn't very experienced when I got married. And I sort of gave up on the whole mind-blowing orgasm thing after a few years."

Juliet lifted her upper body, and rested its weight on her elbow so she could look at James. He looked up at her with patient curiosity, tilting his head so he could look at her straight on.

"I just wanted you to know how happy I am to both give and receive them, now, with you." said Juliet. His eyes searched her face, the corners of his mouth turning up when he saw her little smirk. With the hand that had been stroking her upper arm, James reached up to brush Juliet's mussed hair behind her ear.

"Have I ever told you how much I love the words that come out of your mouth?" he asked. His hand brushed her cheek, his thumb brushing over her lips.

Juliet's smirk gave way to a big bright smile. "Yes." she said, wryly. "Yes, you have."

"I love everything about your mouth..." he said suggestively, pulling her closer. She gladly leaned closer, laughing against his lips as she kissed him. Their tongues soon joined the kiss, still hungry from all the pleasure they'd just given each other. It was never enough. The more they experienced, the more they wanted. Just when Juliet thought she'd melt again from his deep kisses, he ducked his head lower, pushing one of her breasts up to meet his mouth. He bathed the entire mound of flesh with his tongue, squeezing it gently as he did so. She sighed, her eyes slipping closed as he closed his lips around the nipple and sucked softly. It wasn't even purely sexual, the affection he showed toward her body. He'd kiss every inch just to say _I love you_.

"Whaddya say, Blondie?" James asked, voice muffled. He lifted his head and looked up at her, moving to kiss her other breast as he spoke. "Are the cuffs comin' out?" he asked, licking and sucking it just the same. "You do somethin' I have to arrest you for?"

Juliet sighed again. They were far past foreplay tonight. No more teasing. Just closeness.

"Not tonight." she said, sliding back down beside him. She took his tongue back into her mouth and kissed him, thanking him for all the attention he gave to her. He'd be ready again soon. When he was, she wanted to make love to him, long and slow, with both hands free to hold him.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks as always for reading. I swear, plot will actually develop in the next chapter. Things will happen - different things! Oh, like you care...but don't be afeared, my best fluff always involves a lil drama! ;D_


	13. Everything She's Ever Wanted

"Rachel?" Juliet called gently through her sister's bedroom door. It was mid-morning, and Rachel hadn't gotten out of bed yet. "Rach?" she said, much softer, as she opened the door and poked her head inside. It was silent in that room, until Juliet heard Rachel stir. When she spoke, her voice was muffled. The covers were over her head.

"I'm sorry." Rachel groaned from the darkness. The curtains were still drawn.

"It's okay." Juliet was quick to reply, her voice high-pitched and full of sympathy.

"No," Rachel sighed, pushing the covers from her face. "I should get up, move around."

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah." said Rachel, still laying in the same position. She took a moment to think about how she really felt. "I mean, relatively, yeah, I'm fine. It's just depression sleep, you know?"

"Yeah." Juliet said softly.

"Come in." said Rachel, sitting up and scooting back against her pillow. "Sit with me."

Juliet entered, and motioned toward the curtains. "Can I open these?" she asked. Rachel nodded. Juliet let the sun in, and then walked over to the bed, lifting one leg and then the other, sitting cross legged and facing Rachel. That's when Rachel noticed the papers in her hand. She looked down at them with what looked to Juliet like guilt.

"I found these." Juliet said in a confessional tone, sharing in that guilt. "On the kitchen counter."

Rachel took one of the pamphlets that Juliet held out to her, and turned it over to glance at the back. She was already very familiar with the content. They were advertisements, really, for an experimental treatment, something new and exciting that needed plenty of sick volunteers.

"My doctor and I were discussing where to go from here." Rachel explained.

"Rachel-"

"Juliet, hear me out." Rachel interrupted her, looking her in the eye. Juliet looked back at her, waiting. "I can't do this anymore." said Rachel. She turned and glanced at her bedside table, which was covered in an array of pill bottles."Not this treatment." she explained. "But I don't want to just give up, okay? I want to try new things. I mean, it's worth a shot, right?"

A word or two got stuck in Juliet's throat, and she sighed uncomfortably instead of saying them. She couldn't condone radical treatment, but she couldn't force Rachel to take part in the traditional if she didn't want to, if she just couldn't do it anymore. There was something else nagging at her though. It wasn't just Rachel's radical plan that confused her. It was the locale.

"It's in Miami." Juliet said, holding up another pamphlet. Straight forward, straight faced, she still sounded a bit lost.

Rachel winced at the reminder. "Yeah."

Juliet nodded. "You know that Mittelos job offer is in Miami."

"...Yeah."

"Now I have two reasons to move there."

"This," said Rachel. She reached out and took the paper from Juliet's hand, holding it up for her to see. "Has nothing to do with you. You don't have to come with me."

"Rachel." Juliet interrupted her. "I told you I was going to see you through this. And if, god forbid, anything were to happen while you were out there, and I wasn't with you..."

"If you want that job, Jules, then take it. But don't treat my decision to go out there as an equal reason."

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to." Juliet insisted. "I can't help it."

Rachel looked at her stubborn sister and sighed. She could only refuse Juliet's help so many times, and any refusals would be half-hearted anyway. She needed someone's help, and Juliet would never abandon her. They saw each other through everything.

"What about James?" Rachel asked quietly.

Juliet's face fell, and she looked like she was hit with a very powerful emotion. "I don't know." she said, shaking her head. "Fuck, I don't know." She covered her face with her hands, bending at the waist. She felt Rachel's hand on her back, rubbing her in a comforting gesture. "Richard Alpert is going to call me in a few days and I haven't even told James about the offer yet. I don't know how to bring it up." Juliet sat up, taking a deep breath and becoming very disappointed when exhaling did not rid her of all her problems. "Things are so good between us. They're better-than-I-thought-possible good." Her next confession caused her to put her hands on the side of her face. She turned to Rachel with eyes full of fear, happiness and sorrow. "I'm in love with him, Rach."

Rachel smiled, reflecting Juliet's simultaneous happiness and anxiety over what it meant. "I know." said Rachel.

"When I think about possibly leaving him, it _hurts_." The last word was a ghost, Juliet's voice failing as the lump in her throat grew too large to ignore. "Because he's so perfect, and what we have is perfect, and maybe I have gone completely blind and I shouldn't be so sure that we would always have a life together if I stayed."

"Why do you say that?" Rachel asked her scoldingly.

Juliet shrugged, eyes still welling. She looked down at her hands. She was sure that she looked as pathetic and sad as she felt. "Edmund won't grant me the divorce."

"That doesn't mean you and James wouldn't be perfectly happy together." said Rachel. "Edmund's just a piece of paper at this point."

"That piece of paper is keeping me from getting a job here. Where James is. And even if I got the divorce, he'd still have me blacklisted. James just got promoted, and you _know_ he could be promoted again soon. He's the best they have, and they know it. They all love him..."

Juliet trailed off, the welling in her eyes and the lump in her throat beginning to take over. When her face began to scrunch, Rachel squeezed her wrist, and it only seemed to make it worse.

"I'm so sorry, babe." Rachel said softly. Juliet raised her head and shook it.

"Why did I marry that stupid prick?" Juliet put her elbow on her knee, and rested her face in her palm. "I was so stupid."

"You were young, and hopeful." said Rachel, trying to be tactful.

"Shut up." said Juliet, half smiling as she let the tears drain back into their ducts before they could fall. "You warned me."

"But I never said 'I told you so.'"

"That's true." Juliet chuckled. "But you could. If you wanted to."

"I don't want to." said Rachel. She breathed deep and sighed, just like her sister. "And I don't know what to tell you about Mittelos and James. Just know that I'll support whatever decision you make."

"I know you will." Juliet said softly, smiling gratefully. She crawled forward and wrapped her arms around Rachel's shoulders from the side. "Now get out of bed and take a shower." she said as she hugged Rachel.

"Do I stink?" asked Rachel.

"You smell like roses." said Juliet. "But a shower will wake you up."

Rachel groaned, but she did not lay back down. Juliet pulled her own head back, keeping her arms tight around Rachel. She shook Rachel gently, playfully, back and forth.

"Come to the pier with us tomorrow night."

"As what, your chaperone?" Rachel quipped.

"Yeah, you and Miles will be our chaperones."

"Oh, _Miles _is going to be there..."

Juliet laughed. "Is that a problem?"

"No, I like Miles. He'll keep me company while you and James go make out on the Ferris wheel." Rachel teased her.

"I'm so glad you understand our little arrangement." Juliet replied.

"Mmhm." Rachel agreed wryly. Juliet kissed her cheek, and released Rachel's shoulders so she could get moving for the day. "So are you going to talk to him about it before you decide?" Rachel asked.

Juliet dismounted the bed and pulled her t-shirt down over the waist of her jeans. She felt another sharp pang in her chest, not of pain but of fear, when she thought about what that would be like. If she took the job, she could only see two possibilities. Either James would want her to stay and she'd be breaking his heart, or he'd be fine with her going and he'd break hers. There was no easy way out of this.

"Yeah." she said softly. "Maybe after the pier, when we get home."

Rachel nodded. "Sounds like a good plan."

* * *

At the station that same day, Miles told James a lie. It wasn't the first time he'd told James a lie, and it wasn't the worst lie he'd told by any means. He just didn't want James to know what he was about to do. It involved James indirectly, Miles' little plan, and it needed to be kept from James for multiple reasons. One, to protect him, and two, to make sure Miles was allowed to set the plan in motion without interference.

"I'm going out to lunch with my old man today." Miles said casually. The lie.

"Must be nice..." James muttered, tippedy-tapping away at his computer, as slow as always.

"I'm his only child." Miles reminded him.

"Yeah." said James. It was less than sympathetic.

"His only hope for leaving a lasting legacy in this world." Miles continued.

"That's fine." James sighed.

"He might tell me he loves me today. You don't know."

"Miles."

"Yeah?"

"I keep misspelling the word 'suspect'." said James.

"That's...fascinating." said Miles, though his dry tone implied the opposite was true.

"Yeah," said James, leaning his forearms on his desk and looking up through his glasses at his darling partner. "It keeps coming out as 'shut the hell up and go to lunch already'."

"I think it's a glitch in the software." said Miles.

"I think you're nervous about meeting up with your old man." James replied as he went back to typing.

"You know me too well." Miles sighed.

James was playing right into Miles' little con. This, for a guy who used to work full-time undercover. James knew Miles too well, but Miles knew him even better, and Grandpa always got distracted by paperwork, frustrated with how long the data entry always took.

"We need a hot secretary to type all this stuff up." said Miles. "You should ask Master Abbadon to hire one, the next time you're servicing his needs."

"You know whose needs I service." James scolded him.

"He misses your blow jobs, you know." said Miles.

"Would you leave already?" said James in a burst of misplaced frustration.

It had been near impossible to get out of bed that morning. Juliet had been so warm, so cuddly, so fucking _pretty_, and he'd been able to think of nothing else the entire day. Concentrating on work - real detective work, not even just the data entry - had been difficult enough, and now the typing, the _typing_. His fingers had better things they could be doing, and he did _not_ need the images in his mind that Miles was trying to conjure.

"I'll be back." said Miles, pleased that James now thought it had been his idea for Miles to leave in the first place.

"Take your time." James mumbled, conjuring the image of Juliet softly biting her lower lip to make those other scary images go away.

_"I'm in love with you_."_ he whispered, the first words of the morning. _

_He touched her face, and she smiled and said the same words back to him._

_"I'm in love with you, too."_

James chuckled inwardly at his daydream. That's what he'd _wanted _to do this morning. He'd held his tongue and he wasn't sure why. James shook his head and smiled, telling himself he'd say it tonight when they went to bed together. _If _they went to bed together. James' smile disappeared, when he remembered they hadn't decided about that yet. Juliet was going to see how Rachel felt. Or did she have an interview the next morning?

"Damn." James muttered. He sat back in his seat and tried to clear his head. They'd be going to the pier together tomorrow night, at least. They'd spend the night together soon. "God damn." James said, loud and clear, trying harder to clear his head.

"You okay over there, Ford?" Jenkins asked, smirking from a few desks over.

James sighed. "Just practicing." he joked. "Wouldn't want to lose my touch."

"That would be a tragedy." Jenkins agreed.

* * *

"Hey." said Miles to the pretty young clerk at the courthouse, as if he thought he was the coolest person on the planet and everyone should know it.

Shannon smirked up at him adoringly from behind her desk. "Hey." she said wryly, knowing him well enough to take his too-cool-for-school act as the joke that it was.

"Sooo," Miles leaned on the front of the desk, and looked around the room to make sure their conversation would stay private. He was leaning on one elbow, bent almost in half. "I have this super important undercover ninja mission I need you to help me with." he said in a hushed tone.

Shannon tried to keep smirking but she chuckled and it morphed into a smile. "Is that so?"

"Keep your voice down!" Miles whispered dramatically.

Shannon rolled her eyes and stifled more laughter. "You're so stupid."

"I think you meant debonair."

"Uhhh, I'm pretty sure I meant stupid."

"Well." Miles sighed, playing with pencils Shannon kept in a mug on her desk. "The mission is pretty dangerous. You're probably too chicken shit to help me anyway."

"Oh my god, shut up. I can't even describe how lame you are."

"Chicken shit."

"I'm calling security." Shannon warned him in jest, raising her eyebrows defiantly.

"Baby, I _am_ security. Look at this sexy badge."

Shannon laughed as Miles held up what she referred to as 'his little necklace'. "What's the mission?"

"I need you..." Miles paused, trying and failing to find a more delicate or clever way to put it. "...to pretend to be a man, and trick a rich guy into offering you money for sex."

"...Ew?" was all Shannon could say, after taking it all in.

"I need a tranny hooker." Miles complained, as if it would make the request more appealing.

"Ew, Miles. You just called me a man."

"Shannon. You are the hottest girl _ever_. That's how we'll trick the guy into offering you money for sex. You only have to casually mention that you have a penis, _after _he offers the money, to freak him out and make him run off."

"You're fucking crazy."

"You love me."

"I only love you because you're as big a bitch as I am."

"So you'll help me?"

"_Hell _no!"

"I knew it. Chicken shit."

"Miles. I work in a courthouse. I know what entrapment is."

"Uhhh, you obviously don't." Miles teased her, using the same haughty girl tone that she used. Shannon didn't like that, especially since he was right.

"Isn't it still illegal?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

"Think of it more as a prank."

"Is it?"

"Is it what?"

"Is it just a prank?"

"...If it is, will you do it?"

Shannon rolled her eyes again and sighed to express her boredom.

"You look really hot today." said Miles.

Shannon laughed through her nose at his transparent compliment. "Shut up." she said, shaking her head.

"That top really accentuates your boobs."

"Oh my god," Shannon rolled her eyes a third time even though she found his brashness to be oddly platonic and therefore entertaining. "You are foul." she said, raising one eyebrow like she pitied him. "And you are sexually harassing me and I should have Internal Affairs arrest you and put you in jail for the rest of your life."

"They give cops conjugal visits, you know."

"Ohhh." Shannon said suggestively.

"Yeah. You could still come and peg me if I was locked up."

"Ew!" Shannon complained. "As if I would ever!"

"Have you eaten lunch yet?" Miles said, changing the subject suddenly as he was apt to do.

"No, and I'll never eat again thanks to you."

"Come on, come have lunch with me." he insisted.

"Your treat?" Shannon asked, lacing her sweet smile with malice.

"Money doesn't grow on trees, Shannon." Miles complained, loudly and sarcastically.

"No, it comes out of your pocket. Give me five minutes and I'll be ready to go."

* * *

Two pairs met up at the pier the next night, exchanging partners the moment they reached each other. Juliet and Rachel arrived first, and waited on the agreed street corner for their boys to show up. Juliet saw James and Miles walking toward them from very far away, and she kept her eyes on James the entire time. James noticed her down the way, still half a block away from her. Miles kept talking his ear off about something - Juliet was sure they'd hear all about it once the two pairs became a group - but James watched Juliet and smiled the rest of the way. Juliet smiled back, and resisted the urge to break into a jog to speed up the process.

Miles and Rachel exchanged a quick but heartfelt hug. They had to occupy themselves somehow, to allow the other two their greeting ritual.

"First the hugging..." said Miles, just loud enough for Rachel to hear.

"And then the makeout." Rachel replied, smirking lovingly in their direction.

A few feet away, James and Juliet were sharing a fairly chaste kiss - chaste, especially by their standards, considering what they were capable of. The thing about their chaste kiss was that it usually lasted a long time, or perhaps was repeated once or twice or three times before they'd decided 'hello' had been established.

"I missed you." James said quietly, hugging her waist.

"Missed you too." Juliet replied, smiling softly.

"They missed each other." Miles reported to Rachel, in case she'd missed it.

"They did spend an entire day and night apart." Rachel pointed out. "That's about a year, their time."

"Did you do something different with your hair?" James asked.

"No," said Juliet. She reached up to touch the collar of his leather jacket, even though it was already straight. "It's the same as always." She looked into his eyes again and gave him a half smile. "Why? Does it look strange?"

James smiled and shrugged. "I don't know." he said. He clasped his hands tighter at the small of her back. "You're even prettier than I remember, that's all."

"Are you sure you two want to be here right now, out in public, carrying on like this?" Miles asked. He gestured to Rachel. "This poor woman's already on anti-nausea medication, which I might have to take too if-"

James pulled his arms tighter around Juliet's waist, sighing loudly in complaint to Miles as he picked Juliet right up off the ground. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed as he began to carry her toward the pier.

"Oh, that's terrific." Miles said sarcastically. Juliet put her face against James' neck, kissing him and hugging him and letting him take a few more steps before he set her back down.

"Come on, big boy." Rachel said, taking Miles by the arm. "We'll hold each other's hair if we end up puking."

"Now, this..." said Miles, hugging Rachel's arm to his side as they followed James and Juliet. "_This _is true romance."

* * *

They all walked to the end of the pier together, so they could watch the water turn dark as the light left the sky. The lights on the busy promenade behind them were bright. Miles turned his back to the water and leaned on the railing, catching up with Rachel while James and Juliet stood side by side, no space in between them. Those two didn't talk at all. Rachel made it so that Miles was not the only one talking, but her thoughts were with Juliet. She kept peeking at the blondes. James had his arm around Juliet's shoulders, comfortable in their silence, content just to hold her. Yet there was Juliet with her eyes cast down, staring into the water and not at the horizon. Rachel wished she could give Juliet one last encouraging word, to tell her everything was going to be fine, but it was up to Juliet now. And maybe everything was not going to be fine.

"Okay, this is getting depressing." Miles cut in to the silence. "Let's head back toward the rides before one of us jumps in."

"You know what, Miles?" said James.

"What?" Miles challenged him.

"You are one bossy motherfucker."

"It's called over-compensation." Miles replied. He took a few steps away from the group, knowing they would follow. "Come on, let's go."

"It's like havin' a kid I gotta take care of and entertain all hours of the day." James continued. Juliet laughed and put her arms around his waist, pulling him in Miles' direction.

After a few rounds of games, throwing darts at balloons and telling the attendants to keep all the prizes they won because no one wanted to carry a six foot crayon or giant SpongeBob for the rest of the night, James and Juliet left Rachel and Miles on the promenade and got in line for the Ferris wheel.

They settled into each other as they settled into their seat, and their car moved up in stages as all the others were filled one by one.

James looked at Juliet, all wrapped up in her sweater. He put his arm around her shoulders, and she rested her hand on his thigh. It was a cool night, especially next to the ocean. Her hair was windblown, frizzy on the outside layer. Her eyes were bright, and her cheeks were flushed and round as she smiled.

"You look beautiful." he told her. Her smile widened. The longer they looked at each other, the more he could see a hint of sadness in her eyes. He hoped he hadn't done anything to cause it. "You always look beautiful." he added.

"You always look hot." she replied, and for a moment the sadness was eclipsed by a flirtatious twinkle. She looked away from him then, so he wouldn't see her eyes well up with tears. She didn't realize that sparing him a look at her sorrow only made him worry more about her.

"You thinkin' about Rachel?" he asked, taking his best guess.

She smiled and exhaled, a laugh of sorts. "No, not right now." she said. Her arms were crossed to warm herself, and she leaned against James, resting the back of her head on his shoulder.

Miles didn't like heights, and Rachel didn't like motion sickness, so the two of them stayed safely on the ground. They walked along the strip of carnival games for a few minutes, spying with mild curiosity on the people they passed.

Despite her caution, a wave of nausea snuck up on Rachel anyway. Maybe it was the lights, maybe it was anxiety, maybe the medications were wearing off or kicking in, she was never sure. She stopped in place to let it pass. Miles stopped too, watching and waiting for her.

"Mm." Rachel said, closing her eyes and softly verbalizing her discomfort.

"You okay?" Miles asked her.

"I'm fine," she said, shaking her head dismissively. "Just a little lightheaded."

"Anything I can get you?"

"Some soda, maybe? Like a Coke?"

"Sure thing." said Miles. "Sit down, I'll be right back."

Rachel took his gentle command and found a seat on a nearby bench while he went to the nearest food stand for a soda.

"Thank you." said Rachel, smiling gratefully as he handed her tall styrofoam cup with a long straw sticking out of the top. She took a sip right away, and Miles sat down beside her.

"No problem." he said, leaning back and looking at her, watching for signs of a more serious episode. He still remembered vividly how it had gone with his mother.

"Just don't tell Juliet I had this." Rachel said with a guilty smile. "I'm supposed to be on a strict diet for this new plan they have me on."

"You don't sound too excited about it." said Miles.

Rachel shrugged, and took another long sip. "I don't know. It's just...same old, same old. Sometimes it seems like they're just fucking with me, like none of it really matters in the end."

Miles nodded, easygoing in his total lack of judgement. "After a certain point my mother said no more." he said. "She stopped treatment and let herself go. I miss her a lot but I always respected that decision. The treatment was killing her anyway, ya know?"

Rachel stopped drinking and looked at Miles, pleasantly surprised by his attitude. "I think you're the only person I know that doesn't give me some horrified expression at the idea of doing that." she said. "Of letting go."

Miles shrugged. "It's your body. Your life. A person can only take so much."

"Yeah." said Rachel. Her gaze drifted to the pavement a few feet beyond Miles' seat. The thought was tempting, but she had big favors to repay. "I could never do that to Jules though." she said, lifting her cup for another sip. "Although, now that she has James..." she murmured, smiling as she trailed off.

Miles smirked, and accepted the cup from Rachel when she offered it to him. He took a sip, and then asked her, "They're getting pretty serious, huh?"

"Looks that way." she said. "I love it. He's really good for her."

"Same for him." Miles agreed. "I've never seen him like this."

Rachel grinned at the news. "Really?" she said, pleased to hear it from the best friend's point of view.

"I've seen him through maybe _one_ relationship as serious as this one, and that girl was nuts. Doomed from the start. With Juliet it's completely different. It's like he's ready to settle down."

"Oh stop it, you're gonna get me all emotional." said Rachel, putting a hand over her heart. She wanted it to sound sarcastic, but a part of her was truly touched that Miles saw it that way.

"It's kind of freaking me out." Miles admitted. He handed the drink back to Rachel. "I guess it's about time one of us grew up though, huh? We've been living together for too long."

Rachel chuckled and absent-mindedly shook the cup, making the ice inside rattle. "I want Juliet to have her own life too. I feel like, between me and her ex-husband, she's never really had a life of her own. I'm supposed to be helping her through her divorce, and now she's stuck with a sick sister again and still only separated from Ed."

"Ed." Miles scoffed, as if the name itself was annoying. "He's a real prick, isn't he?"

"I fucking hate that motherfucker." said Rachel, without hesitation.

Miles grinned. "Let it all out." he teased.

"That's pretty much all of it." Rachel laughed. She sucked on her straw, and the noise it made in the cup indicated the end of her drink. "Mm." She uttered the noise in lament. "I drank that too fast. I probably shouldn't have had the caffeine either."

Miles put his hands in his pockets and settled further into his seat. "You'll be fine." he said with a softer smile. Rachel turned to him with a half-smile of her own.

"You're all right, Miles." she said. "In spite of what James says about you." she added with a wink.

"I get the Rachel seal of approval?" Miles asked, sporting the most genuine smile Rachel had seen on him yet. It was a strange but pleasant sensation, seeing this sincere side of him.

"A snarky little bastard like you?" said Rachel. "Of course you get the seal of approval."

"I do my best." said Miles.

Once they reached the top of the wheel, their gondola at rest while still more people got on, Juliet had a moment of clarity that made her heart ache. She'd just realized that she was going to take the job whether James was okay with it or not, and she didn't know how to reconcile that decision with their relationship. The tears that sprang to her eyes joined the ones that had already accumulated, and they began to spill over, uncontrolled. Juliet twisted to face James, lifting one hand to touch his face as she quickly moved in to kiss him. She kissed him once, then twice. It took him a moment longer, but he could tell something was wrong.

"Baby..." he whispered. He pulled back, and held her face with his hand so he could look at her. "Why are you crying?"

Juliet pressed her lips together and tried to will the tears away, but she couldn't help it. There was no avoiding it any longer. She was scared, and it was making her emotional. The look on his face didn't help. It was a mixture of confused and stricken, like he was shocked to see her suddenly crying and already desperate to make it stop.

"I have to talk to you about something." she said, her voice calm in spite of the emotion.

"I'm right here." James reassured her. "Start talkin'."

Juliet smiled. James was here, in Los Angeles. That didn't stop her crying.

"I got a job offer." she began.

"And that ain't a good thing?" James asked, even more confused and worried than before. He wiped at her tears with his thumbs. She licked her lips, and they were salty. She wished it could be easier somehow. Why did it feel like jumping out of the gondola would be less painful?

"The job is in Miami." she said. She could see it in his eyes then. The delayed, eventual '..._Oh.'_ that took over his features. "It's exactly what I've been looking for. It's what I've always wanted to do. They sought me out, based on my previous work, and told me I'm first in line if I want the position."

James nodded, his real reaction still veiled. He was still processing the information, and the idea that Juliet might be in a different city soon. _Don't settle,_ Juliet wanted to tell him. _Don't be okay with this!_

"Is it a permanent gig?" he asked.

"The offer is for a project that lasts eight months, but they told me there is a good chance that the research could be expanded. It could be permanent. If they're happy with my work."

_Of course they'll be happy_ is what James would have said, if he hadn't just been blindsided.

"And who's 'they'?" he asked instead. "Are they private? A university?"

"It's private sector." Juliet reported. "Funded by some dedicated billionaire, apparently. The money won't run out."

Juliet watched James closely. His eyebrows raised at her last statement, but he didn't let anything else show.

"Sounds like a dream." he commented.

"Like it's too good to be true, right?"

"No." said James. His eyes had drifted, and they returned to Juliet's so he could tell her, "No, it sounds like someone finally realized there's a treasure out here needed finding."

With the tops of his fingers he caressed her face. He was so proud of her. He wanted to be happy too, but it wasn't quite happy news for the two of them, as evidenced by Juliet's emotional state.

"Did you get the offer today?" he asked. "Is that what got you so down?"

He was so concerned. All she could feel was guilt now, guilt for leaving, and guilt for not telling him about it sooner. Juliet reconsidered that jump out of the gondola. Maybe she could land on Rachel and put them both out of their misery.

"No, it wasn't today." she said. "It was that lunch meeting I had about a month ago. I told him I was looking for something closer to home, where Rachel was getting treatment. I declined the offer. But he told me I had a month to change my mind. That they were going to hold the position for me, if I decided that I wanted it. They wanted me that bad."

James had spent months learning about Juliet - who she was, how she felt and what she wanted - and this was the final exam. He would have taken care of her for the rest of their lives, he was willing to provide for her any way that he could, but Juliet was not a housewife. She had her own thing. She needed her work to feel whole, a career to give her purpose. What did he have to offer her, then? And hadn't they joked about it on their first date?

_I didn't even make it through four years of high school._

All the pride James felt for his own accomplishments didn't prevent the echo of Edmund's comments, that a police detective was somehow unworthy of a lady doctor like Juliet. James knew it didn't make any sense to buy into that bullshit - Edmund was the one holding Juliet back, not James - but James had pride of a different kind, pride that prevented him from begging Juliet to stay with him when it was clearly in her best interest to go. All he wanted was for Juliet to be happy.

"What are you thinking?" Juliet asked him worriedly.

"I'm thinking you should take the job." James said immediately, like it should have been obvious. The air between them became still, even though the wind was blowing. Juliet was looking at him as if she'd expected some other answer. They didn't even notice the wheel spinning around and around, and that it had been for a minute already. The ride was going to be over soon.

"You said it yourself," said James, trying to be supportive even as a solid rock formed in the pit of his stomach. "It's everything you've ever wanted."

"In a job." Juliet specified. "It's what I've always wanted in a job."

James steeled himself against every selfish thought he was having. "So take it." he said.

Juliet felt sick. "What about us?" she asked.

"I don't want to hold you back from something you've been looking for this long."

"You're not holding me back." Juliet shook her head.

"Then why are you so upset? Why did you wait so long to tell me?"

"I was hoping I could find something else. Something in Los Angeles, closer to you."

"And Rachel?"

Another long pause. Too long. Like one of his cases slowly unfolding, all the clues coming together to create the bigger picture, there was still more to the story.

"Rachel found an experimental treatment in Miami that she has her heart set on." Juliet explained. Her voice had become very quiet. It really didn't help that last-nail-in-the-coffin feeling James was getting.

"So I really am the last thing keeping you here." he said.

Juliet looked at him with eyes full of sorrow. She didn't want it put that way. She didn't want to see it like that but when they really got down to it, that was the truth. It would have been so easy to say goodbye to that miserable city if she hadn't started dating James. He'd asked her out after she'd decided to leave the LAPD, on her last day of work, when her only plan had been to get Rachel healthy and get out of the dead body business.

"I don't want to end this." she said, honest even if it meant being selfish.

"I don't either." said James. "But you gotta do what you gotta do, and if that means-"

_Whoa._ It was a lot harder to say the words than he'd expected when starting the thought.

"If that means breakin' up..."

Their gondola stopped and swayed. The ride was over, and they were one spot away from exiting. Juliet sat up and spent the rest of their time there wiping her face clean, trying to cover up the fact that she'd been crying. She didn't want Miles to see her like this, but then again what should she care? If James was so willing to give up on their relationship, maybe she'd never see Miles again.

"Juliet." James said. He reached out for her with his voice, because she was withdrawing from him physically. She'd never done that before. From their first date they'd only grown closer, never apart. He'd never seen her like this and he didn't know what to do.

He wasn't the only one with pride.

Miles and Rachel were waiting next to the exit. Rachel felt better, and they both looked in good spirits when James and Juliet saw them. Rachel noticed right away that something was wrong. They weren't holding onto each other, that was Rachel's first hint. When Juliet came close enough for Rachel to see her face in the lights, Rachel no longer had to ask. It was clear to her that they'd had the talk.

Meanwhile, the boys made eye contact. James gave Miles a look that said _Don't you dare say anything stupid right now, _and Miles obeyed but for a questioning look in return.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to go home now." Juliet said to Rachel, all business.

"Juliet." said James. She wanted to give him some form of silent treatment, but when he said her name that way - like he knew he'd done something wrong, didn't know what, and would do anything to make it up to her - she had to look at him. Juliet looked, and like James' silent message to Miles, she told him that she was sorry but that it hurt very much right now and if she said another word to him she might burst into tears.

Rachel knew her sister. Juliet wanted to remove herself from the situation before she really got hurt, but Rachel also knew that Juliet and James were closer than that. This would not be resolved by not talking about it.

"If you two want to go home together, I bet Miles could give me a ride."

The wheels turned in Miles' head, and he got Rachel's hint right away. "Yeah," he offered casually. "We took two cars. I'll drive Rachel home, you two can ride together?"

Juliet looked at Rachel, not sure whether to thank her or scold her for butting in.

"Just call if you need anything." said Rachel, confident that she was doing what was best for Juliet. The ride on the Ferris wheel had been so short, they couldn't possibly have worked out a plan in the time it had taken. Rachel put her arms around her sister, hugging her protectively with her hand on the back of Juliet's head. "Talk it out, okay?" she said softly in Juliet's ear. The boys couldn't hear it over the din of the crowd, the rollercoasters and the games being played. "You'll feel better about it if you do."

Juliet nodded, and Rachel stepped back to look into her eyes one last time. "I'll see you later, James." Rachel said, friendly to him as always.

"G'night." he said, nodding in her direction. It was curt, but that was perfectly understandable.

"Later." Miles gave James a quick nod and joined Rachel on their walk to Miles' car.

That left James to console Juliet. He knew he'd stuck his foot in it up there.

"Hey." he said softly. He touched Juliet's elbow, pulling softly until she looked up at him. "I don't _want_ to break up with you. I don't _want_ you to move to Miami. But that's the situation you're giving me and I don't know what else I'm supposed to do with it."

"I'm sorry." said Juliet. She shook her head, and moved toward James for a hug. "I'm sorry." she said again, wrapping her arms around his neck. He squeezed her tight around the waist, and he felt the embrace in every part of his body. She was a part of him. He had no idea how to let her go. Not even how to begin.


	14. I Think My Heart Just Exploded

"Do you have any idea what that was about back there?" Miles asked.

Rachel looked out the passenger side window as Miles drove her home. She let his question hang in the air while she thought about it. Her silence was half an answer already.

"Yeah, I think I do." she said eventually.

Miles' eyebrows went up, though he kept his eyes on the road. "Care to clue me in?" he asked snarkily. "I'm a detective, I can probably piece it together if you give me a hint or something."

Rachel's body moved subtly with a soft chuckle. "Juliet's thinking of moving to Miami." she confessed. "She got a really good job offer there, and I'm thinking of moving there too. I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm going. She was going to talk it over with James first, and I'm guessing she brought it up while they were on the Ferris wheel."

Miles kept his eyes on the road. It hit him a few seconds later. "Shit." he said, enunciating every sound. "Are you serious? You and Juliet are leaving LA?"

"Well, I'm not one hundred percent sure about Juliet. She hasn't technically taken the job yet, but she doesn't want me going out there alone, and as much as I think I'm the one in charge here, she's as stubborn as I am and won't take no for an answer."

"But it's sure enough for them to have a fight about it?"

"I don't know, Miles." Rachel sighed. "I don't know, I guess we'll both hear about it later."

"Shit." Miles said again. He couldn't believe it. Just thinking about what James would be like without Juliet in his life... "You know he wanted to find a new place and move in with her, right?"

Rachel turned to Miles with one raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk. She was well aware of their wishes, and the role she played in denying them that wish in particular. Miles seemed to realize it a second too late.

"Don't listen to me." he said. "I'm stupid."

"You're not stupid." said Rachel in a sad yet reassuring tone. "And yes, I know. I was actually looking forward to helping them look for a place."

The light ahead turned red, and the car slowed to a stop. Miles turned and glanced at his passenger. They'd just been talking about her cancer, and the possibility of letting go. He hoped she wasn't moving to Miami to give up and die.

"What about you?" he asked. "Why are you relocating, I thought you were sick?"

Rachel rested her elbow on the passenger side door, and the back of her head rested on her hand. She was still staring out the front of the car, uncomfortable from being put on the spot. "I found this new treatment option." she said. Squeezing her thinning hair gently in her fist, she risked a glance at Miles. He was watching the stop light again. "It's still in the testing stages." she went on, looking back to the light just as it turned green and the car accelerated. "It's not even marginally accepted by the medical world at large, but they said they've had the most success with my type of cancer. That, and it's painless. I won't feel anything, other than better, if it works."

They caught a streak of green lights, seven in a row. They were both quiet for all of them.

"Wow." was all Miles could say. He was usually unphased by anything, no matter how major. It all felt so sudden.

"Something with magnets." Rachel murmured, though they were both already thinking of her sister and Miles' best friend again.

* * *

Juliet went with James to his apartment. They were going to put their pride aside and tell each other the honest truth about what they wanted. Juliet wanted the job, and she wanted James too. She knew she couldn't have both, not if James stayed in Los Angeles. James wanted to keep his job. His career was as important to him as Juliet's was to her and he liked having it in Los Angeles. But he also wanted Juliet, and he knew he couldn't have her and keep her completely satisfied.

"Can we _do _a long distance relationship?" Juliet asked not for permission, but whether they could both handle it.

"I don't know." James answered honestly, as if the entire idea mystified him. "Hell, I've never had a long _term_ relationship. Not one that mattered like this does to me."

Like so many of Juliet's visits to James' apartment, they'd ended up in bed, curled up as close to one another as possible. They were still dressed, lying on top of the covers, having fallen onto the bed during a fit of passionate hugging and desperate kissing. They were at rest now, looking into each other's eyes with an openness and understanding they hadn't been giving each other when Juliet first broke the news.

"I'm in love with you." said James, just to make it as clear as possible. He didn't see any way of falling out of love, in the present or anywhere in the future. James brushed Juliet's hair from her face, petting her head and searching her eyes for an answer to their dilemma.

"I'm in love with you too." Juliet replied. She smiled, even though she was touching the backs of her fingers to the corner of her eye. It wasn't exactly how he'd imagined it, but there it was. His daydream come true. Now all he wanted was to stop her tears from falling.

"I wanna be with you any way I can." he told her. "If that means long distance then I'll do it. I'll do it any way you want me to."

"Will that be enough for you?" Juliet asked. "I don't want to tie you down and leave you alone at the same time."

"It's not like that, baby." James sighed. "When I first asked you out I thought, great, a few weekends of fun, she'll get sick of me or I'll get sick of her and we'll never talk to each other again after that. You wanna know what I think now?"

"Tell me." said Juliet, with her soft, knowing smile.

"I think about a year from now, two years, five, ten - and you're still around. We're still together. I think about spending the rest of my life with you and it doesn't put me off in the least. And...I guess that's how serious I am about makin' this work. I don't wanna be with anybody else. I don't want you with anyone else either."

"Okay." Juliet said quietly, unable to keep a grin from forming on her face. "I think my heart just exploded."

Funny how those magical words weren't making it any easier.

"If someone had told me a few months ago I'd be falling this hard for you, I would have thought twice about asking you out. I woulda been too scared to go down this road."

"I'm glad we didn't know." said Juliet. "I would have been scared too. This thing with Edmund..."

A flash of familiar anger sparked in James' eyes. It burned through the desperation just long enough for Juliet to see it, to show her how deeply he cared about her.

"That man screwed you up real good, didn't he? See, that's why you gotta take this job. Stick it to 'im. Show him he's not the almighty lord of medical research."

Juliet smiled at the way he put it. She touched the front of his shirt and wondered how she was going to live without him, even for a week. "I don't want to be away from you." she said

"I don't want you to be away either." said James. "But you gotta try. I can't be the reason you don't try."

* * *

Rachel told Miles he was welcome to stay at her place for a while, or crash on the couch for the night if he wanted to avoid whatever was going on at his place, be it a fight, a breakup or however they chose to celebrate a reconciliation.

"I was going to watch a movie," she said as she unlocked the door. "Probably fall asleep in the middle like I always do."

"You don't have Mario Kart, do you?"

"Mario Kart?" Rachel gushed immediately. "I haven't played that in for_everrr._"

"You gotta come over to my place, Carlson. I can't keep losing to Princess Peach, the shame is killing me."

Rachel laughed, and Miles decided he liked the sound of it. It was completely unselfconscious on her part. She was herself all the time, and he appreciated that about her. He felt himself around her too. They didn't have to fake anything for each other. They were both alternate third wheels on the intense relationship between her sister and his roommate, and had become friends due to mutual sympathy and snark.

Rachel curled up on her couch and Miles stood at the end, waiting for Rachel to make room for him on the far cushion.

"Please. Sit." she said, bending her knees.

"Thanks." he said, dry but easygoing, dropping down as Rachel started going through a queue of instantly watchable films. They argued for fifteen minutes about which movie to watch, browsing an endless list of nothing they could agree on.

"You won so many points with the Mario Kart thing." said Miles. "You are losing them _all _right now with these movie choices."

"Don't make me play the cancer card." Rachel warned him.

"Oh, you think that entitles you? To anything?"

"You are _mean._" Rachel's eyes were glued to the television, but she grinned and shook her head at Miles' stubborn attitude.

"I'm not mean." said Miles. "I'm just not an enabler."

"So if I asked you to pass me that blanket," Rachel pointed her chin at the blanket hanging on Miles' end of the couch. "You wouldn't do it?"

"Hell no."

"You little fucker." Rachel said with a smile, sitting up so she could get the blanket herself.

"Just kidding!" Miles said quickly, grabbing the blanket for her. "Jeez."

Rachel chuckled smugly. "Faker."

"You called my bluff."

"Such an enabler."

Rachel smirked, and Miles chuckled as he settled down on the couch. He made sure Rachel's feet were covered by the blanket as the movie - it didn't really matter which one they watched - started playing.

* * *

The next morning, Miles unlocked the door to his apartment very gingerly, trying not to make a sound. He wasn't sure what to expect, or what he even wanted to see on the other side of the door. Worst case scenario, they'd broken up and James would still be angry-drunk with that old, now rarely seen scowl on his face, telling Miles to quit lookin' at him like that.

The sight that greeted him was quite different than he'd imagined. If pressed, he would have described the scene as blissful.

James was sitting on the couch, but it was not a beer bottle in his hand. It was a steaming mug, and it was resting gently on Juliet's knee. She was sitting so that her legs draped over James', and she had a mug of her own, clasped in both hands, resting in her lap. It looked so domestic and cozy, a part of Miles that seemed alien to him felt bad for interrupting. The way they looked up at him was calmly expectant, as if nothing bad had happened the previous night.

"We were wondering where you were." said James, right before lifting the mug to his mouth for a long sip.

"We didn't mean to keep you away." Juliet added apologetically.

Not only had they not broken up, but they were speaking as a collective. Miles took a deep breath, and tried to think of an innocent way to describe what he'd been up to.

"Uhhh." he said, elongating the word with a sigh typical of his temperament. "I crashed at your sister's. On the couch."

Internally he regretted adding those last three words - where else would he have slept? - but the lovebirds didn't seem to notice. They were too wrapped up in their own drama, or lack thereof, to pick up on any subtle changes in his mood.

"Sorry." said Juliet. Her legs moving slightly on top of James. His hand caressed her thigh, comforting her in her sheepishness.

Miles frowned in that way that lets people know there's not a problem. "It's cool." he said, and that should have tipped them off big time.

_No pain at all, in fact it was quite a pleasure._

"I'm gonna grab a shower." Miles said abruptly, before he could say any of the weird, unexpected things popping into his head.

"There's coffee left, when you get out." James offered, motioning casually toward the kitchen.

"Thanks." Miles said mindlessly, eyes shifting as he left the room. James' eyes narrowed as they followed his friend out of the room.

"Something about him seem off to you?" James asked Juliet.

"He seems tired." she said, wincing internally as she thought of him spending an uncomfortable night on their old couch. "At least there's one good thing about me leaving. Aside from having my dream job. He'll have his apartment back."

"Darlin, we gotta get our own places anyway. He's gonna find a girl eventually, isn't he?"

"Eventually." Juliet repeated scoldingly, smiling in spite of her disapproval of James' constant insults of his supposed best friend.

"So." James said, his gaze resting curiously on Juliet. She looked back at him expectantly. "When are you gonna call?" he asked.

Juliet looked into her coffee. "I guess I could try today." she said. "No sense in putting it off. It's down to the wire, isn't it?"

"I thought they promised you the whole month?"

"They did. But I keep getting this feeling that they've changed their minds and I've been worried this whole time about nothing..."

"They still want you." said James, as sure as he was about their relationship. He made a face like he wasn't so impressed by her future employers. "Not like _I_ want you, but still..."

James looked at his girlfriend, the new smirk on his face a clear indicator that he was joking. Juliet felt a flutter of excitement in her belly. She had an awesome job lined up, and a significant other that was actually supportive of her decision to go chase her dreams. It was an odd sensation, and it made her feel like life, a _real_ life, was finally beginning for her.

"You've got me." she reminded him. He knew it too; she felt it when he squeezed her thigh.

In the bathroom, Miles went through the motions of his normal morning routine. In the back of his mind, he was grateful it was a Saturday. He had no obligations, no plans aside from calling Shannon to make sure they were still on for their little appointment later in the week. Most of his conscious thought was consumed by trying to figure out how it had happened, last night. In the physical sense, he could remember every moment of _how_. But, philosophically, in terms of the _why are we here _and _what are we doing with our lives_? He had no idea how it had occured.

At a certain point, he noticed Rachel was shivering, even with the blanket pulled up to her chin.

_This happens sometimes_. she said. _I just can't get warm. I'll be fine._

He just couldn't take the shivering. Not that it annoyed him. He just felt bad. It was distracting him from the movie, and no matter how many times Rachel said she was used to being completely, physically miserable, he knew of one easy solution and no good reason not to use it, as long as she was willing to try.

He kicked off his shoes, and told her to let him lay underneath the blanket with her. They were buddies, it was fine. He'd buddy-snuggle with her, heat her up with his manly warmth, they'd enjoy the rest of the movie and Rachel would feel better. That was all it was supposed to be. That was all he'd intended.

Of course, the movie they were watching just had to have a sex scene.

It was nothing remarkable. Just enough to get them both thinking about how close their bodies were.

Oops.

Miles wasn't sure if his hands were in the appropriate place, to keep this all platonic and friendly.

_Sorry_. he mumbled when his hand slid to the side of her waist.

_No worries._ she assured him. She tried adjusting her position to accomodate his on the couch that had never felt so small and cozy before.

Then, as if it had happened all of a sudden - he supposed it had - they were kissing, touching each other everywhere, and Rachel rediscovered an energy and an appetite she was sure she'd lost.

It wasn't even awkward afterward. That was perhaps what was giving Miles the most trouble. He had a difficult enough time getting girls into bed, it was near impossible to keep the conversation going afterward. Either Rachel was the perfect fuck buddy or she was really good at hiding her girly feelings. They'd spent the rest of the night in her bed, sleeping the sound sleep of the sexually satisfied.

In the present, Miles cleared his throat. He felt a twinge of guilt just thinking of the phrase - _fuck buddy._ It was a one time thing, it wasn't going to happen again, especially with her moving to Miami.

He froze in the middle of brushing his teeth and stared at himself in the mirror, toothbrush sticking out and a nice froth forming at the corners of his mouth.

"I am a very confused boy." he said aloud in a muffled voice, to himself, like there was a part of him that didn't know that already.


	15. Letting Her Go

_**A/N** - Thanks, reviewers! This one is still merely PG-13 - it was going to be longer, but I figured you'd want more frequent updates instead of waiting for me to finish the good stuff :P Hey, you like Miles, right? It's got lots of Miles! And he's the bad boy in this AU..._

* * *

"Dr. Burke!"

Richard Alpert sounded pleasantly surprised as he answered Juliet's call.

"Hello, Mr. Alpert." Juliet greeted him formally, and then she remembered. "Richard." she corrected herself in a friendly tone. It couldn't hurt her chances.

"Please tell me you have good news for me." he said, putting Juliet at ease just as he'd done over lunch.

Juliet smiled. "I do have good news. I mean, if you'll still have me...I'm calling to say I'm accepting the offer."

She couldn't see it, but Richard leaned back in his chair and grinned, feeling like he'd just scored a touchdown for the company. The month-long holding period had been a big risk, one that he would have had to take the blame for if she'd refused. Now he got to take the credit.

"That is _great _news, Dr. Burke. Amazing. We're all so happy to have you on our team."

"I'm part of the team already, huh?" Juliet marveled sarcastically at his good nature. What was in the water over there? Maybe it was those giant magnets...

"A complete tour of our facilities is in order before you commit to anything, of course."

"Well, it looks like I'll be moving to Miami whether I take the job or not. But thank you, I can't wait to see the center."

"I did see your sister's name on the waiting list." Richard confessed.

"And is it safe to assume my sister was taken _off_ the waiting list and accepted into the program because you wanted me so badly?"

"Just one of the many benefits we hope to shower you and your family with, Doctor."

She almost considered telling him to call her Juliet, but she did like how 'Doctor' sounded. She'd worked damn hard enough for the title. Besides, James was in the other room and she didn't want him getting needlessly jealous.

"Thank you." she said. "For considering me and giving me the opportunity. And for helping my sister. I'll admit, a large part of me still thinks it's all too good to be true."

"Starting today, Dr. Burke, we are going to prove otherwise. You can't put a price on brilliance or genius. But...we try."

They shared a chuckle. It felt so cheesy, like she was daydreaming and Mr. Alpert was a figment of her desperate imagination. But it was real. She had a new job, Rachel was going to get real treatment, and James was offering real long distance support.

"Besides your sister, is there anyone else coming to Miami with you?"

Juliet's eyes widened. Was he fishing for the information she thought he was fishing for?

"Um..." Juliet stalled. The professional relationship was still so new and fragile. Richard was nice now, but Edmund had been nice once upon a time.

"There are a lot of housing options." Richard covered his curiosity about Juliet's love life with shop talk. "We can figure it all out later."

Juliet chuckled politely. "Right."

As Richard began to explain more about the timeline of the project itself, Juliet noticed some movement where the living room became the kitchen. She glanced up and saw James peeking from around the corner. He was waiting there with Rachel, and probably eavesdropping with her too. Juliet smiled to let him know everything was fine. James had known it would be fine, that anyone with half a brain wouldn't let Juliet get away so easy. In that way he understood Edmund's stubborn attitude regarding their divorce. As much as that asshole made Juliet feel inferior, he must have known she was the best part of his life.

* * *

Miles slouched in the driver's seat of an unmarked police car, so low that only the top of his head and the long telephoto lens of a professional still camera were visible, and only if you were paying attention. Through the camera he was viewing the front entrance of a nice hotel on the other side of the street. It was Monday, just about one thirty in the afternoon. The office grunts were already back at their desks, but the very important people were entering their second hour of their luxuriously long lunches.

"All sorts of things you can do in two hours." Miles muttered. He took a few practice shots, to get used to the shutter speed. "Like pick up a lady friend. Or. Just a lady. That's not a friend."

Miles sighed, and reached to the passenger seat without looking, groping for a bag of chips.

"Come on, Shannon. Send him out."

His impatient muttering seemed to summon her. A second later Miles dropped the chips and gripped the camera with greasy fingers. The camera started clicking at a rapid pace. It sounded deafeningly loud to Miles' ears, but it was pressed against his face, and he was the only one on a stake out. No one passing by on the sidewalk took notice.

Across the street, an angry Edmund Burke stormed out of the hotel's front doors. Miles couldn't help but smirk at his own handiwork. He tried to keep the camera steady as his good friend and partner in hopefully-impossible-to-litigate-crime Shannon followed Edmund to the curb. She had on a micro-mini skirt, a skimpy top and shoes with ridiculously high heels considering she already towered over Edmund when barefoot. For once Miles wasn't checking her out. His eyes were on their target instead.

"Ohhh fuck, you look angry." Miles said under his breath as he let the shutter fly. "You douchiest of bags."

Shannon grabbed Edmund's elbow, trying to make him stop and listen. Edmund wrenched his arm away, stuck his finger in her face and, in what Miles guessed was a very stern, very commanding, very _douchey _voice, told her to stay the fuck away from him.

Miles was supposed to be working on one of his open cases. There were other cops in his department that wasted their time in worse ways, for worse reasons. He could only feel so guilty for this. It wasn't even guilt, really. Just the distant fear that he might get caught, might be reprimanded, might take a little shit from the lieutenant for this. Or fired. He might be fired. And it really might be worth it, just to help his friends.

Again, Shannon grabbed at Edmund's arm, and she was convincing enough to make him stop and listen that time. With a few words and a subtle head motion she got Edmund to glance toward Miles' car. Miles read Shannon's lips, mouthing the words along with her.

_We're being watched._

She'd always wanted to be an actress. The best of her high school drama class, that's what she'd told him. That was why he'd gone to her with this important job. She had a flair for the dramatic and she was a blonde. Everyone knew Edmund liked blondes.

Miles saw Edmund crossing the street like he owned it, barely looking at oncoming traffic as he traversed the lanes.

"Shit." Miles sat up and started snapping pictures in a more obvious way. It was showtime for Detective Straume.

"Who the hell are you?" Edmund asked in a hushed tone when he was close enough for only Miles to hear him. "And why the hell are you taking my picture?"

Miles lowered the camera and stared up at the doctor, wondering yet again what Juliet had ever seen in him, what _any_ woman could see in him. He asked his questions not out of fear, but only so he could figure out exactly how he was going to destroy Miles' life for even attempting to spy on him. Shannon, meanwhile, crossed the street with more caution, catching up to Edmund a few seconds later with her hooker heels clacking on the pavement.

"Oh, hi." said Miles. "I'm just a tourist, taking in some of the local color."

Edmund reached out, gesturing for Miles to hand the camera over to him.

"Excuse me?" Miles said. "I don't speak servant-ese."

"Give me the fucking camera." Edmund said in not-so-plain English.

"I can't." Miles said innocently. "It belongs to the city." he explained, innocence giving way to a pleased smile. He was holding up his badge now, swinging it lightly on its chain from one side to the other for added emphasis.

Edmund's eyes narrowed as he put the pieces together, looking to Shannon and then back to Miles. "What the hell is this?"

"This," said Miles. "Is a plain clothes cop catching you with a prostitute. This is also a plain clothes cop that knows exactly who you are and how badly you want this little incident to be kept a secret. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Burke."

"It's 'Doctor'." Edmund said flatly.

"Not for much longer if you don't behave yourself."

"Are you trying to blackmail me? Because, if you even try, I will _destroy_ you."

"I don't care about money, mister- oh, sorry, I mean _Doctor _Burke. Now is that..._medical _doctor? Because even for a layman such as myself, it's pretty easy to tell the difference between a dick and a-"

"If you don't care about money, then why are we still talking?" Edmund interrupted him testily.

"I just need your signature." Miles told him calmly, and quite apathetically. They stared at each other, as Edmund worked it through in his mind. Now, who else wanted his signature, bad enough to set this up...?

"Can I see that badge again?" Edmund asked.

What a normal conversation they were having. Miles shook his head no.

"This isn't official police business, is it?" Edmund asked, smug, as if he'd found a way out of this.

"No," Miles shifted in his seat, telegraphing impatience at Edmund's failure to grasp what needed to be done. "But it can be. It's in both our best interests to keep it off the books. I assume you're used to that. Keeping things off the books."

"You talk a lot of shit for a nobody." Edmund muttered, trying to sound menacing. "You're his partner, right?" he guessed.

"It doesn't matter who I am."

"I'm gonna have both of your badges by the end of the week. And that's a promise."

It was quite possible Edmund had that power, but Miles could be a cocky bastard too. The bullshitter in him took over and he turned to Shannon.

"You gonna chime in here?" he asked her, still playing the jaded cop.

"Please don't arrest us." she begged, fully in character. On the inside Miles smiled, proud. Those acting classes were really paying off for her.

"He can't arrest either of us." Edmund assured her, barely turning toward her as he spoke. His words were more of a way to shut her up than reassure her.

"I almost have enough money for the surgery," Shannon continued. "I'm so close, and you know how hard it is to find johns that will actually _pay_ me after they find out-"

"I know, I know." Miles said sympathetically. He looked to Edmund. "I'm surprised you didn't recognize her. Oh, I guess she's only a minor celebrity 'down at the precinct'."

"We're done here." Edmund said abruptly of the situation. "And you're done _permanently_." he said directly to Miles, right before he turned to go.

"She's leaving, you know." Miles called out to him.

Edmund stopped in his tracks, his back to Miles.

"You drove her out of town." Miles continued, his eyes drilling holes into the back of Edmund's head on James and Juliet's behalf. "Just saying."

Edmund didn't reply. After a few seconds he started walking again. Shannon waited until he was gone, staying close to the car as if she were going to plead with Miles a little more. They both watched Edmund stalk across the street, back toward the hotel valet, while multiple cars screeched to a halt and honked their loud horns in protest.

"So, Detective." Shannon said as she turned to Miles. "How did we do?"

Miles was still staring after Edmund, his usual apathetic attitude disrupted. "Why does he talk like we're all hobos or something? Does he have any idea what it takes to make detective?"  
"Aww, Miles!" Shannon grinned. "Did the mean old man hurt your feelings?"

"Come on, get in." Miles motioned with his head for her to get into the passenger seat.

"Shouldn't I get in back?" Shannon asked.

Miles stared at her for a second before replying. "It's not a squad car." he said. "Nobody's looking. Oh, and you're not really a hooker."

Shannon rolled her eyes. "You're no fun." she teased. Once in the passenger seat, she tried again. "Seriously, did that go well or are we in big trouble?"

Miles looked over his shoulder to make sure there was no oncoming traffic and quickly pulled out of his parking space. "Both?" he said, speeding up to get through a yellow light. "Neither?"

Shannon rolled her window down and rested her elbow on the bottom of the frame. "I'm fine as long as he doesn't decide to litigate. If he ends up suing us my step-mother will _kill_ me."

"Listen to you, using words like 'litigate'."

"Oh my god," Shannon muttered. "How does your partner even stand you?"

"He obviously can't, that's why I need a county court desk clerk to help me with my detective work."

"Uhh!" Shannon made a sound that was half disgust, half warning. "Not everyone wants to get fat on donuts and beer, okay? Maybe Dr. Burke has a point there, it's not like you're a _doctor_..."

"OUCH, Shannon."

"Well?"

"You know where to find him if you want a date."

The sound Shannon made then was all disgust. "Ugh, please."

"Let's go take some pictures of a drug corner so I can explain why I took the camera out. We can find you a real bad boy there."

Shannon chuckled. "You're the baddest boy I know, Miles."

"Stop, I'm getting hard."

"Ewwuh!" Shannon punctuated her current disgust with a slap to Miles' arm.

"You looked, didn't you?" Miles accused her. "I'm telling."

* * *

The Lieutenant sidled up to Miles' desk the next morning. They'd had their differences in the past. Most of their interactions involved at the very least a stern look from Abaddon, if not a full-blown tirade. Straume was still part of the team however, and he wasn't a bad cop. Maybe that was why Abaddon gave him such a hard time - he wanted Miles to do better, because he wanted to keep Miles around. That was why Abaddon just couldn't believe the complaint he'd received the previous night, that one of his own had been harrassing an important member of the medical community, while he was on the clock no less?

"Straume." Abaddon said, softer than the usual bark.

Miles looked up, casual but still respectful.

"Where were you between twelve and two-thirty yesterday afternoon?"

"Who, me?"

"Don't be cute. I've got angry people asking me questions."

"I was with Ford." Miles lied. It caused his partner, who was sitting right there across from him, to look up from his computer. Abaddon glanced at James, who maintained an innocently curious look and nodded to corroborate Miles' alibi. James knew Miles was lying, but they were partners - they were ready to die for each other, and if Miles needed a cover story it was reason enough in itself to give him one.

"Why?" Miles asked his superior.

Abaddon sighed. He was glad the accusation was false, but he still had to deal with the angry caller. "Some doctor's assistant is on the phone, asking if I have any Asian detectives on the day shift."

"Well, you know how it is, sir. We all look alike."

Abaddon chuckled and gave Miles a wry, knowing look. Inside Miles breathed a sigh of relief. _Racism,_ he thought. _It brings people together._

"Alright. Back to work." he said, like a father half-heartedly telling his kids to clean up after themselves. He wandered back to his office, taking his time so he could put off the denial of Edmund Burke's accusation a little longer.

"Leave it to you," said James, going back to his computer. "To get in some kinda trouble and parlay that into a rapport with the Lieutenant. What'd you do this time?"

"Let's just say it had something to do with a married woman." Miles said. "For now, that's all you need to know."

James grinned and chuckled as he typed up a report, slowly filling in the spaces on a spreadsheet. "Ohhh, Miles." he said. "You'll tell me about it someday, I'm sure."

"If I live that long." Miles joked. There was adrenaline in his veins; he had the feeling he always got when he pulled a major stunt and got away with it.

* * *

_Two weeks later..._

James raised his fist to knock on the door to Juliet and Rachel's apartment, and stopped when he noticed it was ajar. He held the knob with one hand and knocked with the other, poking his head in to make sure everything was okay.

"Hello?" he said, right as his gaze came to rest on Rachel, kneeling in the middle of the living room in front of a cardboard box. She was taping the top closed, and she looked up when she heard James' voice.

"Hey there." she said with a smile.

"Hey, Rachel." He smiled back, and Juliet walked in from the bedroom soon after. She had a small but heavy looking box in her arms, and she stopped when she saw James.

"Hi." said Juliet, smiling involuntarily, her voice rising in pitch as well. Her face was flushed, and she sounded a little out of breath. Most of their small two-bedroom had been packed up and sent ahead through the mail. They'd be arriving in Miami to fully furnished apartments, so they had to get rid of their furniture too. It got more and more empty looking every time James visited.

"Hey, baby." he said to Juliet, walking right over to take the box from her hands. They leaned toward each other and kissed a hello as he took the package. "Where's this one going?" he asked, hefting its weight easily.

"Right to the car." said Juliet. "We'll be right back." she said to Rachel.

Rachel smiled at them both and watched them slip through the door. James and Juliet being all over each other was nothing new, but they'd gotten shy about it lately. Maybe Rachel and Miles had teased them one too many times. Maybe their cuddling had become a more sacred activity since they wouldn't be able to do it after she was gone. In any case, James waited until they'd tucked the box in the trunk of Juliet's car to say hello the way he really liked.

He leaned her gently against the back of the car, feeling up the sides of her waist.

"Hey." she greeted him again softly, grinning as he leaned in for a more serious kiss. "Mm," she protested, pulling her head back soon after it began. "I'm sweaty."

"I've seen you sweaty." he reminded her, staying close. He smiled, pressing the fronts of their bodies together. "I like you sweaty..."

James kissed her deeply, and for a minute the entire world disappeared. The way he took her bottom lip between the two of his and then slipped his tongue inside her mouth erased every other thought in Juliet's mind. They kissed, and a few cars passed by on the street. One of them beeped, a stranger teasing them for their public display. They moved apart, and they smiled with a small degree of sheepishness.

"Two weeks is passing way too fast." James told her, shaking his head with the disappointment of time lost.

"I know." said Juliet, offering a weak smile. "Two more days."

James took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. He'd already asked if she was sure. Now he just had to figure out how to let her out of the city without stopping her or going with her. They had a special night planned, for the night before she and Rachel would get on a plane and fly away to Miami. They were going to spend the a day and night in a nice hotel, no roommates or interruptions, just the two of them. They just didn't want to actually _reach_ that night, because the day after that, they'd be separated.

James leaned down and gave her a tender kiss, before he mumbled "I'll go to the post office with you." even though he wished he could take Juliet and all of her stuff back to his place instead.

"Thanks." she replied. She was ignoring the obvious worried feelings passing between them. He'd told her not to feel guilty for leaving him behind, that he knew Miami would be a great experience for her. She had to do this thing on her own or else she'd never know if she could do _anything _on her own. It didn't stop her from worrying, but it helped to know he was in her corner.


	16. Hotel Sex

The next day crawled and sped by at the same time. James was busy with work, trying to catch up and get ahead so he could justify taking the next day to recover from his night with Juliet. It felt like sand slipping through his fingers. He wanted to see her, wanted to hold her for all the remaining time they had, but the closer they got to that time, the less total they would have.

His own conscience rolled its eyes at him. _It's not the end of damn days._ He was still shocked by how calm he was, how little he was freaking out about it.

"You're in denial." Miles kept telling him, expressing his concern in his own special way.

"Leave it alone, Miles." James sighed.

"Ten days, tops," Miles said. "Before you snap. You'll strangle me first. We'll be out somewhere, questioning a suspect, and it'll hit you. It's alright, I'm ready for it."

"You'll taser me, right? Set to stun?"

"Uhhh...sure."

"You'd kill me?" James squawked. "Just for strangling you in a sexual-frustration-induced rage?"

"I would murder you, yes. To save my virgin butthole."

"I'll never get that desperate, believe me."

"I've seen you looking at me." said Miles. "Out of the corner of your eye."

James held up his arm and made it obvious he was checking his watch. "Would you look at that! It's quittin' time."

"Bang her a few times for me, Ford?"

"You can go fuck yourself, Straume. And I do mean that literally."

* * *

James was surprised Miles didn't tease him for the way he was dressed. All day long, he waited for a comment about runway models being fair game for the perps in the holding cell. He braced himself, until he realized he was only waiting for Miles to notice so he'd know he looked good. Fishing for compliments from Miles was a losing game, though James knew his friend's secret language. Insults were terms of endearment. James reassured himself that it only mattered what Juliet thought. As long as she was pleased...

James arrived at the hotel first. He checked in at the desk and went up to the room alone. They had a full suite, though they weren't planning on doing anything but each other the entire time they were there.

He checked himself out in the mirrored closet door. Adjusting his tie, James smirked at his own choice of clothes and at the situation itself.

"You made yourself a sex date." he murmured, sharing in his reflection's amusement. Wasn't that what old married couples did? It felt like that sometimes - like they were an old married couple. Except they weren't married; they didn't even live together, and they were nowhere _near _bored with each other's bodies. This was a get-it-while-you-can, not-goodbye-but-see-you-later sort of sex date. A single day and night together would never be enough.

In a text, Juliet told James she was on her way. James replied with the room number, and he heard a knock on the door a few minutes later.

"Hey." he said, conveying in one word how desperate and lustful he'd become while being made to wait. Juliet was happy to see him, that showed in her eyes. Her eyes also held some anxious anticipation, and she withheld her own lust when James stepped into the hallway to kiss her.

_Not out here,_ her tame reaction to his kiss seemed to say. She wanted to close the door behind them and forget the world. Sensing her hesitation, James took one of her hands and pulled her into the room. If privacy was all she needed to relax, he'd give it to her.

"Apologies in advance if I rip any of those clothes." James joked lightheartedly as he reached around her to put the Do Not Disturb sign on the outer door knob. Once the door was latched and bolted and locked twice, he was all over Juliet. They'd gotten really good at tearing their clothes off like it was a race or contest, but when James went for the usual route to getting Juliet naked, she hesitated, stopped his hands.

"Sit over there." she murmured, gesturing with her head at the arm chair that sat next to a small round table.

"Why?" asked James. "I sat all day, it's time for some exercise, if you know what I-"

"James." Juliet said sternly. The tone surprised him...and it was sort of a turn on. Then again, in James' current state, Juliet's mere existence in the room was a turn on. She got him to look her in the eyes and she told him in that same stern voice, "I want you to sit down over there."

He seemed to catch her drift then. "Are we gonna play doctor, Doctor?" he asked playfully as he backed toward the assigned chair. Then he grinned. "Or do you want me to interrogate you?"

James dropped into his seat and he watched Juliet step out of her heels, untie her wrap sweater and unzip her skirt.

"Whatever you do to me," she said, letting the clothes drop silently and pile up on the floor. "Do it slow. This night has to last us a while."

The words took a little longer to process than the image James now had of Juliet standing before him in her bra and panties. He watched her approach his seated form, and he contemplated all the ways he could fulfill her request.

_Do it slow..._

"I was planning on buying something ridiculous." she said of her undergarments, as if her body wasn't enough for him. "But between all the packing and everything..."

She realized then, of course, when she saw him grab himself over his pants and start fucking her with his eyes, she had nothing to apologize for.

"Don't." she murmured as she climbed onto his lap, pulling his hand away from the growing bulge in his pants.

"Come here, then." he chided her playfully. She straddled him without really touching his body, except where her knees touched the sides of his legs. He placed his hands on her thighs, running his palms up the smooth skin, reaching around to squeeze her ass in a tight, hungry grip. Her upper body fell a little closer, and she bowed her head, waiting until he turned his head up so she could give him a kiss. Juliet rested her forearms on the back of the chair behind James' head, and her body moved subtly with the squeezing motion of his hands as they made out. He moved one of his hands, Juliet was too dazed to notice until he was touching her between her legs. She moaned, a sudden high-pitched reaction to his brazen fast forwarding of her imagined plan of events. It felt so good though, and he didn't stop, not even when Juliet took hold of his wrist. It was barely an attempt to stop him anyway. Soon her hips were grinding softly to that motion instead.

Juliet rested her forehead on his forehead and whined in pathetic half-protest.

"I'm supposed to be seducing _you_." she said, right before the lusty exhale of a moan. He had big hands. They covered a lot of territory.

"I don't need seducing, case you haven't noticed."

Juliet reached for his crotch and squeezed. "I noticed." she said. She moaned, thinking about having him inside of her all night. He grabbed her ass with both hands and squeezed hard.

"What the fuck am I gonna do without you?" he asked. Her upper body moved toward him, and he licked the tops of her breasts.

"Don't think about that." she said, stroking him harder.

He groaned. "Shit..." he muttered. It felt good. He tried pulling her underwear down, but her legs weren't in the right position. She ignored him for a moment, too entertained by the effect her hand had on him. He pushed and pulled her until her legs were close together enough to pull her panties off. She gave in and settled on one side of his lap, and kissed and lapped at the side of his neck while she let him free her of her undies. He flung them away, turned his head for a kiss and returned his hand to her inner thigh. Juliet climbed back into a straddle, never breaking the deep, wet kiss. His hand stroked up her thigh, fingers searching out the soft mound between her legs. The feel of it, and the sound she made when he touched her, made him harder than before. The tip of his middle finger teased her entrance, and she pulled her face away from his so she could let out some of the sounds building up inside of her.

"Unnh, yes..." she mumbled, lifting a knee up onto the chair's arm to give him better access. He looked up so he could see the knot in her brow when she closed her eyes and waited to see what he'd do next. He slid his finger up, parting her lips to get her wet with herself. He drew tiny circles over her clit. It made her gasp out. It didn't take much from him to get her that turned on. When the tip of his finger slid back down to her entrance, and she felt him slowly push his way inside, she dug her fingernails into the back of the chair, ready to rip the stuffing out if necessary. As her arms tensed up, she relaxed her pelvis and let him in. His finger sank all the way in. His palm cupped her.

"Fuck..." she spat out.

"That's right," he muttered in a cocky tone of voice, feeling like he might rip his pants open with his erection. "I'm gonna fuck you all over this room."

She made a desperate sound, experiencing another wave of heat in her core. His hand moved, slowly and softly tugging her forward. She moved her hips with him, back and forth, riding his hand. His palm curved, and his deeply nestled fingertip stroked her from the inside.

"...make you come 'til you pass out..." he whispered, his lips right next to her ear. She'd bowed her head, and grabbed a fist full of his shirt in her hand. She was about to come and he still had all his clothes on.

She moaned in time to the motion, his hand and her hips moving together. It was when he began to move his palm in tight circles that sent her over the edge. It was short, built up too quickly, but it was intense for that moment. The loud moan gave it away, along with the way her hips took over the motion as she rode it out. She swore softly - gratefully - as it faded. He made it so fucking easy.

James' finger slipped out of her, and caused one last orgasmic tremor when it swept over her clit, which was sensitive and slick from her pleasure. With her senses back under her control, Juliet relaxed on top of James and pushed her tongue into his mouth. She had _not_ intended to let go so quickly. She'd imagined teasing him for a while, making him behave, rewarding him by removing one article of clothing at a time. It didn't matter anymore. The gates were open and there would be no more holding back.

Their lips smacked as Juliet pulled her head back. Then she leaned in close so she could speak low in his ear.

"Take it out." she said. He almost shivered. Smiling a lazy smile, his hands on her ass again, he squeezed her and asked what she meant. He had to hear her say it.

"Take what out?"

She grinned. Okay, so he was entitled to some gloating. He'd made her come right after walking in the door. She would be evening the score momentarily.

Juliet closed a fist in his hair, licked his neck up to his ear and sucked hard on the lobe. He grunted softly, giving her ass a smack.

"Take out your cock." she said slowly, right in his ear. His rough stubble rubbed against her cheek until her lips hovered near his mouth. "I want it in my mouth."

"You gonna suck my cock?" he asked like a dare.

"Mm-hmm..." Juliet nodded. He could feel her sliding down, making her way to a kneeling position on the floor.

"Ohh, fuck I love you." James groaned with a laugh, leaning his head back. He looked down to see Juliet smiling up at him.

"Love you too." she said sweetly. "Now take off your clothes."

Dimples appeared as James smiled big. "He suddenly wondered if he was going to survive the night..." he joked while he loosened his tie. Juliet was taking care of the pants for him.

"You afraid I'll fuck you to death?" she asked, raising one of her perfect eyebrows. She was the cocky one now.

"Something like that, yeah." James chuckled. He tossed his tie to the side. She'd opened his pants, unzipped his fly and pulled his boxers down just enough to get his cock out in the open.

"Can't make any promises." Juliet murmured as she stroked him up and down. He was already hard and she was going to keep it that way. "But I'll try."

James got his shirt unbuttoned. He was all slouched down in the chair, framing her body with his legs. Juliet ran her free hand up his abs and over his chest.

"That's good." she said. The clothes were off enough. He found the approval so very sexy. She took him into her mouth, until her lips brushed the very base of his shaft. She moaned, and held him there for a long time. The feeling of being so full of him gave her a corresponding ache between her legs. That would happen later. She lifted her head slowly, keeping her tongue soft and her lips tight on his shaft. Then it was right back down again, and again, a little faster every time.

"Nnhhh..." James moaned, leaning his head back again. "Fuck. That feels good, baby." He opened his eyes when he reached down to hold the back of her bobbing head. Her hair was gathered on one side, giving him a clear view down to the curve of her ass. She was naked from the waist down and still had the sheer black strap of her bra dividing the pale skin on her back. She worked him like a pro, and moaned like she loved him. She _did_ love him. There was nothing quite like hotel sex.

Usually he would have stopped, taken a turn at bat, dragged the main event out a little longer. But the sooner he came, the sooner he could go down on her, and the sooner he could recharge and eventually fuck her on every available surface in the room.

"Ahh," James sighed out moan after moan, feeling like he could drown her soon. He waited as long as he could before warning her. "I'm gonna come," he said quickly, giving her a chance to lift her head. She didn't stop. She clearly wanted him to come like this. So he held her down, his hand clamping down on the nape of her neck. His hips bucked, hard, and he sucked air in through his teeth. Then everything froze for a second. He sighed loudly, deeply, praising her incoherently.

She took as much as she could. He let her go when she tried lifting her head. He didn't remember closing his eyes, but the next thing he saw was the hotel ceiling. He took another deep breath and blew it out slowly.

"Don't fall asleep on me." she teased him. James looked down with a huge smile. She was licking her lips, wiping the corners of her mouth with her fingers. Her lips looked pink and pleasantly swollen.

"No sleep tonight." he promised. "You don't even know how hard and how long I'm gonna fuck you."

Juliet bit her bottom lip, smiled and made a soft sound of excitement deep in her throat. "How are we going to pass the time until then?" she said, playing idly with his softening cock.

"Go lie down and I'll show you."

Juliet stood up, reaching behind to unclasp her bra as she went. She turned her back to him, and he watched her walk bare-assed toward the bed. James sat for a moment, gathering strength to stand up and follow her. She left her bra with the rest of her clothes and covered her breasts with her arms. Looking over her shoulder, she fixed him with an expectant look.

"Can you walk?"

"Almost." James laughed.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Juliet said with a smirk.

"You should." said James. Then he pointed to the bed, and said "On your back."

"Yes, sir." Juliet replied, getting into her role. She let herself fall back onto the covers, legs still hanging over the edge, and turned her head to the side to look at him, waiting patiently.

"Sexy." he said, with a slow and easy grin.

She beckoned with a finger. His legs finally felt solid again, so he stood, pants loose around his waist, shirt open. He didn't bother taking any of it off. He walked over to the bed and yanked her closer to the edge. Then he got right down on his knees between her legs.

"Spread 'em." he said. Even with sex disheveled James kneeling before her, it sounded like a serious order. All that was missing was a pair of aviator sunglasses. Juliet giggled and complied, spreading her thighs further apart. He put his hands under her knees, pushing them further up and even further apart. She breathed deeper and braced herself. He was going to pay her back for the swallowing, she just knew it.

Juliet folded her arms above her head and closed her eyes. She was completely open to him. She felt it when he put his mouth on her. Going down on him had kept her wet, and the extra stretch he put on her legs made her extra sensitive. He gave her a long, deep lick right in the curve, and stopped at the top to make out with her clit for a while. He knew just how to make her squirm, and he kept a tight hold of her legs so he could feel every little motion her hips made against his mouth.

She struggled against his grip - that felt very nice, for both of them. He especially liked the sounds she made; she seemed to forget that there were adjacent rooms, or maybe she didn't care if they the neighboring rooms were occupied. Her boyfriend had a way of erasing parts of her brain during certain carnal acts.

She moaned in sweet, whiny bursts when he licked her really fast, and she moaned deeply when he slowed things down and teased her entrance with the tip of his tongue. "No-no-no-no..." she said desperately whenever he left her clit. But it felt that much better every time he returned to it, and she would immediately call out and switch to an emphatic series of _yes, yes, yes_'s. Her back arched higher, the closer he got to pushing her over the edge. After a nice, long session of torturing Juliet with pleasure, James felt himself getting hard again. There was no reason to put it off any longer. He gave her thighs another gentle push, and she let loose some sounds and curse words that made him proud to call her his own.

James growl-sighed and let her legs down so he could crawl onto the bed. "We ain't even half done." he said. She giggled somewhat drunkenly, still right in the middle of her sex high. "Already screamin' like a banshee," James teased her. She smiled up at him laying on top of her. "And I ain't even inside you yet..." he said.

James received no protest when he leaned down to kiss her. The taste of her was all over his mouth. She lapped it up, mussing his hair and making it a really dirty kiss.

"Ain't even got my clothes off," James murmured, astonished, against her lips. "And you already come twice."

A deep throaty laugh was all he got in response. He picked himself up off of her and got rid of his shirt. Juliet scooted back on the bed, propping herself up on her elbows to watch him undress. She watched his erection spring back up once his boxers were gone, with a pleased and proud smile to know that yes, she'd done that. He watched her too, and he saw that smile. She'd brought her legs together to make up for all the stretching. They fell open again. Her feet rested on the bed, legs bent at the knee.

They caught each other checking out the equipment. Juliet's smile softened, inviting him to come closer. Then James was crawling back on top of her, kissing her mouth, feeling the inside of her thighs rubbing against the sides of his torso.

She made a sexy sound when she felt his cock rub against her, trying to find a way in on its own. Suddenly she felt very empty, and for a moment she despaired, thinking about how empty she would feel in the weeks following this night. Juliet kissed James harder, trying to erase the thought. She'd deal with that later. In the moment, she still had him. She could, and she did, reach down, wrap her hand around James and guide him right into her. Once he'd pushed the tip inside, Juliet let go and clutched at his back.

The rest of him went in slowly. They'd been together so many times, Juliet was losing count. There were little details from each time, enough to make them all special in her mind. Juliet's breathy whimpers came faster as he filled her up. James moaned, pushing deeper. They were both savoring the moment, that first push inside. Their foreheads touched; he couldn't get any deeper, but still he pushed, pressed her into the bed, groaned and let out a tense breath. God, he was going to miss this. There were voices in his head, saying_ This might be the last time you make love to her. Make it count. Did you really think perfect happiness would last?_ He tried to tune them out and concentrate on her body. It would be the one thing he wouldn't have access to, since they had every other form of communication at their disposal.

It was difficult for Juliet too, knowing it was their last chance to do this, to be together this way, for an undetermined amount of time. She thought about those three days and nights they'd spent apart, how ravenous they'd been for each other on that fourth day. Maybe they'd devour each other next time, and just meld together into one person forever.

* * *

Hours passed, and James made good on his promise. No surface was safe. The bed served them well, and there was the somewhat awkward but intensely hot session on the credenza. Bent over the arm of the chair they'd started on, Juliet almost came again, but it was back on the bed where James gave her a third orgasm. He sat upright and she straddled him, kissed him, was held tightly and touched softly by him, until it was all too much to handle and she shouted, _loudly_. Before they'd started seeing each other he never would have guessed she could be so loud. He loved it. She hugged his head to her chest, and he kissed and licked at her breasts distractedly, pushing himself as deep into her as he could go.

Juliet moaned desperately, desperate to get him off one more time. "I love you," she whispered, more than once. There had been a time when he would have been turned off hearing those words. Recalling that time was like looking back at a version of himself that no longer existed. He held her tighter, and he came inside the beautiful body of the only woman he'd ever truly loved.

* * *

Somewhere in the early hours of the morning, cuddling felt better than anything, so they rested naked in each other's arms in the fluffy hotel bed. James had Juliet curled up against his chest, where he could give her forehead all the kisses he wanted.

"You picked a nice place." said Juliet. She hadn't had the chance to look around until then. "I could stay here forever." she murmured.

"You should." said James.

Juliet tilted her head up. James regretted saying it then. He'd promised himself he wasn't going to make her feel bad about leaving.

"I'm gonna visit you as soon as I can." he told her, as a way to make up for his indulgent comment.

"Really?" she asked, clearly happy to hear his intentions.

"Really." he answered. "Gotta make sure Dick Alpert doesn't overstep his bounds."

_Ohhh,_ so he _had _noticed Richard's particularly friendly attention. Juliet watched his face, saying nothing.

"I don't like how he keeps asking you about who's moving out there with you. He's fishing for info."

"James," Juliet said slowly. She lifted her upper body and leaned on her elbow. "Are you jealous?"

James looked at her. His first instinct was to deny it. He was a proud man, but he trusted Juliet. She deserved to know the truth, especially when it illustrated how much he cared about her. She had a cute twinkle in her eye anyway. She already knew.

"Yeah." he admitted, smirking at her. "I'm jealous."

Juliet smiled, quite pleased to hear it. "Good." she said.

"_Good_?!" James reacted with exaggerated urgency. "You plan on torturing me for the next eight months?"

"No!" Juliet laughed. "It's just...good to know."

"So you can use it against me." James teased her.

"No," she insisted.

"Promise you won't be anywhere alone with him."

"James!" Juliet laughed. She didn't think he was being serious, but he wasn't completely joking either. "What if I'm working -"

James shook his head. "You gotta promise."

Juliet laughed again and climbed on top of him. "Fine," she said, settling on his lap. "Then you have to promise not to look at other women."

"I can't even look?" James asked incredulously. His hands rested on her thighs.

Juliet shook her head. "No, you can't even _think _about them."

"I'll be thinkin' about _you_." James said sweetly.

Juliet rolled her eyes and smirked. "Yeah, okay."

"I will!" James insisted. His panicked look garnered sympathy from her, enough to soften her expression. He relaxed underneath her, relieved. "You know I'll do whatever you ask." he said, glancing down at her thighs, which he began to stroke softly with his hands.

Juliet broke eye contact, her gaze moving down to his chest where she touched him lightly.

"I think we should pick more realistic promises." said Juliet. There was a hint of seriousness that made the air in the room a little heavier.

"Like what?" James asked, worry settling in a little deeper, a little sooner than he'd anticipated.

She stared at his chest, one side of her mouth twitching up, a tiny smile. "Promise we'll talk on the phone a lot?"

"Of course." James agreed.

"Every night?" Juliet added.

"Not negotiable." he said, and he was rewarded with a smile. He waited for another request, until he realized she was looking at him and waiting. It was his turn. He didn't need long to think about his first request.

"Promise you won't be goin' out to dinner or gettin' drinks with him."

Juliet's eyes widened, even as her tentative smile broke into a grin and then a quiet laugh.

"I'm serious about that." James said, his tone light but convincing.

"Alright." Juliet nodded, getting her grin under control. That unyielding look he gave her, coupled with a subtle smirk, she found it very amusing. He really did mean it.

"What else you want?" he asked, like she was sitting on Santa's lap. Juliet's mood shifted again, back to serious contemplation. Her fingertips brushed his hands, and they followed the thigh stroking motion. Her eyes followed it too.

"Promise you'll be honest with me..." said Juliet. "If you feel like it's not working out."

Disappointed, James looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Juliet..."

"That's what I'm serious about." said Juliet.

"I'm not looking for a way out, here."

"I know you're not -"

"Do you?" James asked, interrupting whatever she was going to say next.

Juliet looked at James' face. They stared at each other, James with his questioning look and Juliet with her reproachful one.

"I'm trying to be realistic." she said.

"Preparing yourself for the worst." said James, offering a different point of view.

"I just don't want this to hurt," Juliet explained, feeling like she'd blurted out something embarrassing. "Any more than it has to." Her cheeks tingled, and she felt the ache in her heart she tried so hard to ignore.

"Come here." James murmured, reaching up to touch her face. He pulled her closer. She still straddled him, her upper body leaned down close enough for him to kiss her lips. It was a strong kiss, full of love and comfort, different from the ones he used to turn her on. He pushed her hair back from her face and held her close, their cheeks pressed against one another.

"Can't you see how committed I am?" he asked, speaking tenderly in her ear. "How protective I am of you? I know, it's gonna suck being apart. But you ain't gettin rid of me that easy."

Juliet swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I love you." she whispered.

"I love you too." James replied. "I'm with you, no matter how far apart we are."

Juliet nodded. So close, James didn't see it, but he felt it against his own face, her head held gently in his hands.

"Okay?" James asked, so he could be extra sure.

"Yeah." Juliet whispered. She turned her head and kissed him. His hands slid down her shoulders, gliding smoothly down her back. Juliet pressed her body closer, writhing slowly, and pressed her tongue into his mouth. The urgency in her kiss built up quick. She wanted that hot, sexy feeling back. They had to get it all in now, months worth of physical contact.

"Come on..." Juliet murmured against his mouth, grinding her hips softly against him.

"Woman, you gotta give me ten minutes' rest." James teased, though his body clearly told her otherwise.

"I just did." she said softly. She sat up straight on top of him and glanced at the clock. "It's been half an hour."

"You clocking me?" James joked. Juliet placed her palms flat on his chest and held his gaze, the motion of her hips intensifying. Near silent moans emanated from her throat every few seconds.

"I need you back inside of me." Juliet said, voice trembling with intense desire. She could feel him getting hard again and she didn't want to waste any more time. She had to board a plane in a few hours. His hands clamped down where her hips met her waist, pulling her down harder as he thrust his hips up. Juliet cried out softly, and tried to press him back down onto the bed with her thighs. She fought his upward motion a few more times, riding him, until he flipped her onto her back. She grabbed and clung to his neck, spread her legs and let him find his own way inside. They built up a furious pace - a fast, hard fuck for the road - making love like they needed something to remember each other by.


	17. I'll Miss You Too

While James was away with Juliet, Rachel stayed at Miles' place. Like every other time they got together, no questions were asked, and no promises were made. They liked to hang out, and they either had sex or they didn't. There was the one time they had dinner together, and afterward Rachel said she was tired so Miles dropped her off at home and they said good night. The next day they decided, through spontaneous texting, to get together and ended up making out for an hour before retreating to Rachel's bedroom for the rest of the afternoon.

It was her last night in town, and Rachel laid on her side on Miles' couch, her feet in Miles' lap. It gave Miles deja vu. By the time the credits finished rolling, neither of them had made a move.

"Wanna play Mario Kart?" Miles asked.

Rachel turned her head and smiled at him. "Sure." she said.

"Wanna playyyy...cards?" Miles asked, even though Rachel already answered. She chuckled.

"Sure." she said again.

"Hide The Sausage?"

Rachel stared for a second, not sure she heard him right. After a moment she realized, of course he wouldsay something like that. Rachel laughed, and Miles smiled. The fact that she was entertained in the least by his antics made him feel very special. He looked at her feet in his lap, and very softly drew a line up the middle of one of her soles. Rachel was extremely ticklish, and he ran the risk of getting kicked in the face. She stopped just short of doing so, pulling the molested foot away from his fingers. He let his index finger hover near the other foot, long enough to make it tickle without even touching it. She kicked his hand lightly and returned both feet to his lap.

"You're mean." he said.

"You like it."

"For real though," he said. "Do you want to have sex?"

Rachel folded her arm so she could rest her head on it. She looked up at Miles.

"What, right now?" she asked.

Miles' eyebrows shot up, and he looked around like he was trying to think of a better time than right-this-very-second.

"I mean," he sputtered jokingly. "Whenever!"

Rachel watched it all with a grin. "Okay." she said.

Flabergasted sputtering gave way to a pleased smirk and nodding. "Alriiiight..." Miles said. Rachel had to look away from his face and laugh.

"Where's your bedroom?" she asked.

"Get offa' me and I'll show you."

* * *

James knew, in terms of energy level, that he was going to be destroyed the next day by this endless night with Juliet. He didn't feel tired yet, and he was sure they would see the sun come up before they were finished. The fever he had for her only got worse the more time they spent together, and the feeling was mutual. They'd been in the shower for god knows how long and she wouldn't stop rubbing her unbelievably soft body against his. And why would she ever stop, when his body felt so fucking good?

"James..." she murmured softly between slippery wet kisses. She hadn't meant to moan it like that. The water temperature was perfect.

"I know," he said, "We've been in here too long." It didn't stop him from lapping at the warm stream running down her neck.

"I don't want you to come to the airport." she said. She may as well have turned the water ice cold. The way she said it, she made it clear that her mind was made up, but she cared very much about what his reaction would be. James lifted his head.

"Why not?" he asked her, because they were naked and hugging and his guard was down and maybe he felt like he was giving up a little too much to be denied a proper goodbye.

James held her head in his hands, fingers tangled in her wet hair. The endless stream ran down her entire body, and she looked up at him with a sheepish, sad, happy, loving, grateful smile.

"I don't think I'll be able to get on the plane if you're there." Juliet confessed.

She was the sweetest thing he'd ever had in his life. He would do whatever she asked him to do.

* * *

Both naked in his bed, blankets pulled up because it was starting to get chilly, Miles and Rachel were resting in peaceful silence. Miles turned to look at Rachel and saw her eyes closed. She wasn't feeling particularly sleepy, but what she'd just done with Miles had definitely relaxed her.

"I'm glad you're not dying." said Miles.

Rachel's eyes opened, and her head shifted so she could look at him.

"Because I really like putting my penis in your vagina." he added.

Rachel smiled faintly. She could maintain the best poker face when she wanted to.

"Thank you, Miles."

"No but seriously. I really like you. You're super cool. I'll miss you when you're gone."

Rachel tsked, and her mouth formed a silent _aww_. "You're such a softy." she said aloud.

"I am." said Miles. "It's my dirty little secret. Please don't tell anyone."

"I won't." she said. "I'll miss you too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I like having your penis in my vagina."

"That's really sweet, Rachel."

"Is it?"

"Yes. I'm truly touched."

"Nah..." Rachel reached down and cupped him, balls and all. "There, now you're truly touched."

"Ahh." Miles sighed, closing his eyes and smiling serenely. Rachel snorted and took her hand away. "Hey, that felt nice." Miles protested. He found her hand under the covers and placed it back where it had been. They chuckled, maintaining eye contact. It was funny at first. But then Rachel started stroking him, getting him hard again, and it felt a lot better.

"Oh no." she whispered playfully. "We're turning into James and Juliet."

Miles chuckled. His fingers reached out for her, returning the favor.

"Ooh, yeah." Rachel said, grinning. She lifted her leg and rested it on his hip, giving him better access. They continued for a while in silence.

"Is it weird that I'm really into your body, the way it is right now?" Miles asked in a quiet voice.

Rachel thought for a moment. "Would you still be into me if I gained weight?"

"Yeah, for sure. But it's like...it's not the super skinny part, it's that you're skinny because you're sick."

"...Yeah, that's a little fucked up." Rachel admitted, observing without judgment.

"Ah. I guess I'm a sick fuck."

"Mm. But we already knew that." Rachel assured him. She smiled. She didn't mind his kinks. He was honest about them, and always honest with her. They touched each other throughout the candid conversation.

"I'm gonna fatten you up before you leave." said Miles.

"You don't have very long." said Rachel. "Good luck."

"I need intravenous lard, stat."

Rachel found herself giggling.

"You'll have like, six chins when I'm done." Miles went on. "You'll fuse with the couch. It'll be great."

"And you'll still be into me." said Rachel, not a question but a statement.

"Definitely. My fetishes cross over all weight brackets."

Rachel fell into another bout of laughter. The sound made Miles smile.

"How can you laugh at all of my horrible, cruel jokes?" he asked.

"It's why you like me." she said.

Their hands moved faster - one, and then the other in reaction to the first. Rachel closed her eyes and let go of a deep, quiet sigh. She moaned softly, letting him know she wanted him to keep doing it just like that.

"I'll come again if you keep going..." she said.

Miles kept his sarcastic reply to himself and kept going. Rachel's body started rocking softly with the motion of his hand. He pressed harder and moved faster, listening to the sounds she made as her body built up to an orgasm. Judging by the length of it, it sounded like a good one. When it was over and she had her concentration back, her hand moved a little smoother. She stopped only to spit into her palm, and Miles groaned gratefully when her hand returned to his cock. When he was close, they pushed the covers off and she rolled onto her back. Miles positioned himself so she could aim over her stomach. He kept his eyes on her breasts, tried not to enjoy her bony ribs too much and ignored the small scars on her abdomen. Suddenly his hips jerked closer to her body, his eyes slipped closed and for a few seconds his mind went truly blank.

When it was over he opened his eyes. He'd made a mess of her stomach. Without needing to be asked he picked up an old t-shirt from the floor and helped clean it up. He had no energy left after that. The balled up tee got tossed back into its corner, and Miles collapsed onto the bed face down beside Rachel, who curled up in a similar state of sleepiness.

"What did you do to me?" Miles said into his pillow, an exaggerated slurring of his speech.

"Same thing you did to me." Rachel spoke around a yawn, still feeling the strong pulse between her legs.

"It wasn't bad, whatever it was. Not bad at all."

They were silent for a while after that, too sleepy to think much.

"What time do you have to be at the airport?" Miles asked suddenly, face still mashed against his pillow.

"Nine?" Rachel said. Her eyes were closed. "But I have to get Juliet first."

"Oh, right. And you'll want a shower and stuff?"

Rachel chuckled, and he remembered what he'd just done all over her stomach. Then Rachel sighed a melancholic sigh.

"We should set an alarm."

"Okay." Miles agreed, not moving an inch. After another minute, Rachel pressed her big toe into the side of his leg.

"Set it, set it." she said, poking him with her toe until he reacted.

"Okay, okay..." Miles forced himself up on his elbows and looked for the closest electronic device. With the last stores of brain power he had left, he set an alarm for Rachel and laid down on his side, facing her, phone still in his hand when he laid his arm over her waist.

* * *

Rachel picked Juliet up from the hotel the next morning - the same morning, really, since neither of them had gotten much sleep. Rachel noticed right away that James was not waiting there with Juliet.

"Everything okay?" Rachel asked.

"I asked him to stay behind." Juliet explained. "It'll just be easier this way."

Rachel's smile was sympathetic. "I'm proud of you." she told Juliet, for the big steps she was taking, and for the decisions she'd made. She was proud of James too, for standing by Juliet. She had a good feeling that everything would work out in the end. They weren't the first couple to do this, and they wouldn't be the last.

When they were seated on the plane, belts buckled and ready for take off, Juliet was consumed by thoughts of the commitments she'd made, to Mittelos and Miami and James back in LA. She knew Rachel was keeping a watchful eye on her the whole time. It was probably helping to distract her from her own stressful situation. Rachel didn't like to talk about her illness, and she didn't want to jinx her new treatment by worrying about it out loud. Juliet respected that, and kept a watchful eye on her as well.

"Are you excited?" Rachel asked.

Juliet took a moment to think about the question. "Yeah." she answered truthfully. "Are you?"

"Yeah." said Rachel. "These fuckers better cure me, that's all I'm saying."

Juliet giggled, which made Rachel happy. Cheering Juliet up had been her main goal. Juliet took Rachel's hand, since she knew her big sister really hated flying. They were going to get each other through this.

* * *

Miles wasn't sure what to expect when James got home. He knew his friend well, but there'd never been anyone quite like Juliet in James' life. He could only guess what James would be like now without her. They hadn't broken up, but they were separated now by a few thousand miles. Tough times for a couple attached at the hip.

The look on James' face when he came through the door was serious, but he wasn't angry. It was more like resolute.

_I said I'd do it, so now I'm gonna do it. Love letters and phone sex, here I come._

"You want a beer, ol' buddy?" Miles offered, after he'd analyzed James' demeanor. "Bottle of whisky?"

James shook his head. It was nine in the morning and he'd gotten _no_ sleep. "Bed." he said simply.

He wandered slowly toward his bedroom, looking a bit like a lost dog with nothing much to look forward to when he woke up.

_He'll be fine._ Miles thought to himself. He'd make sure of it.


	18. Different Situations

Juliet had been at Mittelos for one week. Orientation consisted mostly of meeting enough people to ensure she wouldn't remember any of their names, and furniture shopping for both apartment and work space. They'd had an empty office waiting for her when she arrived, and even though she was worried about asking for too much too soon, Rachel urged her to take full advantage of the fact that there didn't seem to be a limit on her expense account.

Seated at a desk that was way too big for her, in a chair that was way too comfortable to ever give up, Juliet heard her phone ping with a new message. She saw Rachel's name and smiled.

_This is my new favorite place. _

Juliet chuckled and replied.

_Are they treating you well?_

Another text arrived almost immediately.

_Yessss, it's like a day spa over here, I never want to leave!_

Rachel was in the same medical complex where Juliet now worked, in the wing where experimental treatments were administered. Lucky for her, her treatment involved a lot of relaxation while friendly doctors fiddled with computer settings and readouts. She could eat, she could read, she could take a nap while they did...whatever it was they were doing. Even Juliet couldn't be privy to all of it. The details had to be kept private for the sake of intellectual property rights. They explained to Rachel what they were doing, and she repeated the information to Juliet as best she could through all the technical jargon.

"You've met Dr. Faraday, right?" Rachel asked her on their second night in town.

"I think so..." Juliet replied, wading through the sea of names in her recent memory.

"He was there today." said Rachel. "He talked to me for a while, but he's got this funny way of speaking..."

Suddenly the name clicked, and the face and voice came to Juliet's mind. "I thought he was a physicist?"

"Oh, maybe I have the name wrong then."

"I don't know..." Juliet was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, especially in a weird and exciting place like Mittelos. "If it involves electromagnetism, it would make sense for him to be there."

Now, at the end of their fifth full day in Miami, the details of Rachel's treatment were still a bit murky, but her sister seemed happy and hopeful. In some ways that was the most important thing.

_Just remember, _Juliet typed quickly into her phone, _I'm your ride home...and I have nothing left to do here! ;)_

_Not too much longer, I promise. 0:) _Rachel replied.

After that, Juliet stared at her computer screen, lost in thought. Her email inbox had a whopping total of two messages in it, both tests sent by the IT administrator. One was for her work address, and one for the Biology Department mailing list to which she'd promptly been added. She glanced at the clock above her office door, wondering for the millionth time what James might be doing. It was four o'clock in Miami, which meant one o'clock in LA. He was either just going to lunch with Miles, or skipping it completely because of some hitch in a case. Juliet smiled softly, thinking of James and the serious faces he made whenever he was worried about his work.

The more she thought about him, the wider her smile became, until the deep ache of missing him started to grow in her chest. The ache had begun the moment she left the hotel, and if she let it grow too much - if she thought about going to bed without him, or spending an entire day not seeing his face, feeling his body, being naked with him and kissing him endlessly - she was afraid she might cry. So she took a deep breath, and opened the top drawer to her right. There was a binder in there, with profiles of all the other scientists at Mittelos, a sort of cheat sheet for her to get familiar with her coworkers. The copy she'd received, on her third day there, had even been updated with her picture and mini-biography. They were really on top of things here. She knew the small head shots and basic information would mean nothing until she got to know all of them in person, but reading it through again would at least distract her from missing James.

Juliet flipped through the pages, pleased to see a good number of women in the ranks. Charlotte Lewis and Danielle Rousseau were in her department, though she hadn't met them yet. They'd gone to the same conference that Richard Alpert had been attending at Oxford.

_Next week,_ Juliet thought to herself, remembering what Richard said about when they would really get back to work and integrate her with the team.

She heard a soft knock on the jamb of her open office door. As if her thoughts had conjured him, Richard was there with a friendly smile and a wave. She heard other people in the hallway as well. It seemed they were back from the conference and, instead of going straight home to sleep off the jet lag, had come straight back to work.

"Juliet." he said warmly when she looked up.

"Hi!" she replied. It had been a little too quiet in there, holed up in her office. Aside from the texts from Rachel she hadn't had much human contact that day. Juliet stood up and motioned with her hand. "Come in, please."

Richard took a step inside, and looked around at the new layout. "It looks great in here."

Despite it being a compliment, Juliet's reflex was to assume he was being passive aggressive, as if it had been said in Edmund's own voice. As she walked around her desk, she glanced at the brand new furniture and suddenly saw it through different eyes.

"Is it too much?"

Juliet watched his face for any sign of disapproval, but he really did seem impressed.

"Not at all." he reassured her. "Whatever makes you more comfortable, we're only happy to provide."

Her chuckle was modest, to the point of conveying discomfort at the very idea.

"Juliet..." Richard narrowed his eyes, never losing the warmth or friendliness. "I get the sense that you're not used to being respected at work."

Juliet smiled, hoping the tingle in her cheeks did not show as a blush. "Respected, maybe." she said. "The LAPD treated me as well as they could manage. It's all the pampering that's freaking me out. You're spoiling me, Richard. I'm worried it will lead to diva-like behavior."

Richard laughed. "I really can't imagine that from you. You're far too modest."

Something in his eyes made Juliet feel as if he wasn't talking about her work. She shook her head demurely and broke eye contact. She didn't want him looking at her that way. After a tension-filled pause, Richard changed gears.

"Anyway," he said. "I really want to apologize for being so absent this week. Just bad timing with the conference, I guess. Aside from the office - which really does look great, I promise - are you settling in okay?"

"Yes, it's been great." Juliet replied. "Everyone has been very welcoming."

The only thing that came close to a complaint was that people were being too nice to her. Where was all the conniving and backstabbing taking place?

"The apartment is also way too nice," she added. "Thank you."

"And your sister?" Richard smiled at the face Juliet made then, like there was something funny about him asking. "Is she liking it so far?" he asked anyway.

"She's loving it." Juliet said knowingly.

"It's amazing what a truly relaxing environment can do, right?"

As he spoke, Richard motioned for Juliet to follow him outside.

"The average hospital can be so terrifying." Richard remarked as he started down the hall. Juliet followed. "It's ironic how unhealthy that can be for someone who is already sick. We believe that a happy patient is a healing patient. And a happy scientist," he punctuated that word by placing a hand lightly on Juliet's back. "Is a productive one."

Juliet smiled. "You'd think more places would have that figured out by now."

"Well," Richard continued more modestly. "I could spout proverbs all day, but if we're being honest, it's still money that keeps the wheels turning. We're lucky here. Our benefactors really do care about the people who work for them, not just results."

They were walking down the hall, toward Charlotte's office. Richard's hand was still resting very lightly between her shoulders. Under any other circumstances it would have been a pleasant feeling - it was nothing like Edmund's angry grip on her waist, and Richard was a very handsome man - but Juliet could see where it was headed, and she knew she would have to shut it down at the earliest opportunity.

"Dr. Lewis wanted to introduce herself before we all go home for the day." he explained quickly as they reached Charlotte's door. The woman with a head of long, copper curls looked up when Richard knocked, and smiled just like in her photo.

"Dr. Burke, hello." Charlotte walked to the door and extended her hand in greeting. "So nice to finally meet you."

"You too." Juliet smiled, and they shook hands. She'd forgotten that Charlotte was originally from England, but her accent was a clear reminder. "I feel like I've been stalking people through their work profiles," said Juliet. "It will be nice to get to know everyone in person."

"Before I head out," Richard interrupted as politely as possible, moving his gentle touch to Juliet's elbow. "We're looking at hiring assistants next week, so if you have any requests or requirements, get those in soon."

_Assistants_. Juliet thought hungrily. _I've never had one of those._

"You'll give us pick of the litter, won't you?" Charlotte asked Richard coyly.

"Only because you're married to a Faraday." Richard quipped.

Charlotte scrunched her nose up at him. Their relationship seemed very friendly, like siblings. It gave Juliet the feeling that she was joining a family and not just a cold corporation.

"Either of you up for dinner?" Richard asked them both.

Charlotte put her hands up immediately. "I'm sorry, Dan's flight gets in soon, I'm trying to get him alone for a night before he has to leave again."

Richard nodded, and turned casually to the new girl. "Juliet? I owe you big time, leaving you alone to fend for yourself all week."

His fingertips, so light on her elbow, were like a flashing neon sign that said _DON'T DO IT_ in Juliet's mind. Remembering her promise to James, she smiled and used her poor, sick sister as an excuse. Rachel wouldn't mind; she'd hear all about it later. Richard didn't seem to mind much either. If he was disappointed, he was too professional and polite to let it show.

"We'll take you out soon," he promised, speaking for Mittelos now. "You and Rachel, we'll have to show you the town."

"Bio's got dibs." said Charlotte, speaking for the biology department.

"Then I'll take Bio out for dinner." Richard countered, verbally sticking his tongue out at her.

"See how I did that?" Charlotte asked Juliet, who very much enjoyed the twinkle in the redhead's eyes. She couldn't keep herself from smiling.

After that, Richard said good night and that he'd catch up with them on Monday. Once he was gone, Charlotte turned her full attention to Juliet.

"We're not usually this lazy, I swear." Charlotte joked, regarding their four o'clock Friday stop time.

"Didn't you just fly in from England?" Juliet asked. "I didn't expect to see you until next week."

"Oh right, that. Well, we wouldn't be in research if we didn't spend our entire lives at the office. Prepare yourself for the guilt complex."

"Oh, I remember it well." Juliet said, recalling the endless, caffeine-driven nights of a previous professional life. Of course, a lot of the guilt she'd suffered had been piled on by Edmund himself.

_Ugh, Edmund._

Juliet was annoyed that she kept thinking about him. The last time she was in a research facility like this one, she was telling him their marriage was over, and he was telling her she'd never work in that town again. The scars had faded over the years, but they were deep. There was still a lot of 'too good to be true' to get over this time around.

Charlotte explained that a few of them were only there to pick up a notebook or something to work on over the weekend while they recovered from their trip.

"Speaking of workaholism," said Charlotte. "You should definitely go for an assistant. I mean, they can afford to hire the good ones, and it doesn't get taken out of the departmental budget."

Again, Juliet's inner eyes grew wide at the very prospect of a lab slave.

"It's been such a quiet week with everyone gone," she remarked. "I feel like I don't really need one yet."

"None of us do, _yet_." Charlotte smiled. "But you won't regret it a few weeks from now when it really gets busy. We can pick out a hot young grad student, get a little romance going, right?"

Juliet didn't reply outright, but Charlotte could tell by her reaction that she'd said something silly.

"Oh," Charlotte covered her mouth, embarrassed. She looked about ready to giggle. "I'm sorry, are you married?"

Legally speaking, Juliet was still married. Just not to the right man.

"Not married, but..." Juliet smiled in a way that made Charlotte understand exactly how she felt about James. "Taken."

"Ohhh, someone better tell that to Richard." Charlotte nudged Juliet's forearm with her elbow. "I'm kidding. I should warn you, I get a bit giddy when these projects start up. I've worked with this company before, it's basically like being showered with money. This new venture looks to be the same. Beats teaching, that's for sure."

"Hm." Juliet murmured agreement, smiling inwardly. "Before this," she said, "I worked in the morgue of a metropolitan police precinct that was fighting to take funds away from the department of education just so it could pay its full-time salaries. I've gotta say...I like it here a little bit better."

Charlotte smirked. "Just a little?"

"Well...the boyfriend is back in LA."

"Oh, so far." Charlotte cooed. "You poor thing. I do the long distance thing with Danny sometimes, it never gets easy, does it?" She lowered her voice, even though their boss was long gone. "You know...I was kidding about Richard before, but he does seem interested. He's a _great _guy, the gallantry is not an act. He just...doesn't always know how to take a hint. Don't be afraid to let him know you've got a jealous boyfriend on the other coast, even if he's not jealous. Is he jealous?"

Juliet affected a smug smile. "He's a little jealous."

Charlotte grinned. "Even better."

* * *

The door to the interrogation room slammed open, the sheer force of it startling everyone in the squad room. James didn't see any of his fellow officers as he stormed out, on a direct route to the locker room. His vision was red, and he had just enough self-control left to remove himself from the situation.

"Sit tight." Miles muttered to the suspect they'd been interrogating. More accurately, the suspect that James scared shitless while Miles watched. Miles went out and saw everyone staring, and he gave them his best _Can I help you, dipshits?_ look. They glowered back, not amused. Detective Ford did not have a monopoly on bad attitude at the precinct, but his temper certainly gave his bad attitude some flair.

Abbadon strolled out of his office and looked right at Miles. "Something I need to know about?" he asked his junior detective.

"He's fine." Miles said, testy. "Just taking his role as bad cop a little too seriously today."

"Reminds me of a cadet I once knew."

"Yeah, no kidding." Miles sighed. "I'll find him." he muttered.

"Stay put, Straume." Abbadon told him. "Ford doesn't need a babysitter."

Miles glared at his lieutenant. "I wasn't going to comfort him, sir. I was gonna go kick his ass. I'm the primary on this case and he's fucking it all up."

Normal shop talk for a shitty day. Still, Abbadon didn't take kindly to disruptions or too much complaining.

"You want a new partner?" he asked Miles in a droll voice.

Miles shut his mouth, waving his hand in annoyance as he turned back and re-entered interrogation room one. The door slammed shut. The room had stopped paying attention a while ago.

Left alone, James cooled off quickly. The anger left him, and a residue of regret was left behind. What the hell had the stupid suspect even said to piss him off?

"Shit..." James mumbled. He sat down on a wooden bench between two rows of lockers and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. It smelled bad in there. He didn't miss it.

Thoughts of Juliet bubbled up; he didn't even have to try, it happened on its own. He hoped she was having a good day. He hoped he could call her and talk to her later that night. He couldn't call her when he was like this.

"Shit." James hung his head low.

"Thank god it's Friday?" said a voice near the door.

James sighed and looked over at Miles. The mopey Asian looked pissed.

"You get anything out of him?" James asked.

"No." Mile said petulantly. "He asked for a lawyer. All the desk slamming rattled him."

"Ah shit, Miles." James didn't bother saying he was sorry, and Miles didn't expect him to.

"Is this how it's gonna be?" Miles asked instead. "You don't get laid for a couple days and all our case work goes to shit?"

"That's not what this is about." James told him, his tone dismissive.

"Okay. Let's pretend this is about me not buying you the Starsky & Hutch DVD's for your birthday. If there's a difference, then please, tell me how we can avoid another disaster like the one that just happened out there."

James had no defense. He sighed again and stared at the lockers in front of him. In the past, James would have yelled back, they both would have gotten their aggression out and the problem would be solved. This quiet James was way worse. It meant there was a real underlying problem to deal with beyond the moment. It took the fire out of Miles' furnace. He didn't have it in him to keep admonishing his partner when he was like this.

"Fuckin' sad sack." Miles said, in a way that only Miles could make it sound sympathetic. "Flipping out on perps isn't going to solve your problems."

"I know." James grumbled.

"Do you?" Miles challenged. "I still remember GirlfriendGate 2006."

A look of disgust came over James' face, as if he were offended at the very mention.

"That was different, come on."

"A different situation can yield the same result."

James looked up at his friend. "Why am I suddenly the one being interrogated here?"

"Because you apparently had a visit from the douche fairy last night."

James snorted, smiling in spite of himself.

"Ahh," Miles grumbled dismissively. "I worry about you, buddy. More importantly, I worry about _me_. Who am I gonna partner with if you get your badge taken away? _Jenkins?_ Do me a favor and shoot me in the face with my own service weapon before you leave."

"I'm not gonna have my badge taken away." James said, tired and patronizing.

"It almost happened last time." Miles tried to remind him.

"There's no 'last time' for this, Miles!" James insisted. "'Last time,' it was because I couldn't get out of a bad situation."

"Wouldn't." Miles corrected. "You _wouldn't _get out of the bad situation."

"Beside the point." said James, not eager for a trip down memory lane. Missing Juliet was bad enough, he didn't need to drudge up forgotten problems of the past. "It's ancient history." he reminded his partner.

"I get it," said Miles. "I really do. The element that balances your delicate chakra is out of town. Your energy is all out of whack. The feng shui of your soul is trapping all the anger and frustration and it's causing you to act out."

"I love it when you go all New Age on me, Straume."

"I will buy the most bless'd healing crystal if it means you won't fuck up my cases, Ford."

"You mean it, Straumey?"

"Double, triple, quadruple-to-infinity mean it."

"How nice." James smiled mirthlessly. "Do we suck each other's dicks now?"

"No, James. That would be _cheating_. You have so much to learn about this relationship stuff."

James stood up, as if to say _Enough of this sad sack bullshit_, indicating that he was ready to return to the land of the level-headed.

"Did Abbadon notice what happened?" James asked.

"Who gives a fuck?" Miles asked in all earnestness as they left the locker room together. James chuckled and clapped him hard on the back, cracking a genuine smile at his partner's surly comments. James may have flown off the handle every once in a while, but it took real talent to keep it simmering just below the surface at all times like Miles.

* * *

Juliet looked both ways before driving her car out of the Mittelos parking lot and onto the city road. Life was treating them well, no reason to get in a horrible car accident now.

"I think..." Juliet said slowly as she merged into traffic. "Richard still wants to date me."

"Uh oh." Rachel looked at her sister, curiosity piqued. "Why do you say that?"

"Well..." Juliet hesitated again, still working out the details in her mind. "He invited me out to dinner." she confessed.

"Okay, that's a pretty clear signal."

"Except, he invited Charlotte at the same time. So, not so clear."

"Charlotte's the redhead, right?"

"Right. And she's married to Daniel Faraday."

"Hm..." Rachel nodded, assimilating the information. "Patient woman."

Juliet smirked at the commentary. "He invited both of us, but she declined, so he turned to me. I used you as an excuse, by the way."

Rachel smiled. "You know you're always welcome to."

"It seemed innocent enough, you know? He wanted to make up for the fact that he wasn't around all week."

"Yeah, it could go either way."

"It wasn't just the invitation, though. He was sort of...touching me the entire time."

Rachel's brow furrowed. "...Touching you?"

"When he led me down the hall to her office, his hand was on my back the whole time. And then really lightly on my elbow. It wasn't creepy or anything, just..."

"Is he a 'hands on' kind of guy?" Rachel asked.

Juliet laughed. "I don't know, I think he's just really friendly. After he left, Charlotte said he really is a nice guy. They seem to know each other pretty well. But she also said he's not so good at taking a hint."

"Everybody wants you, Juliet." Rachel teased.

"Yeah," Juliet said with extra sarcasm. "Even my ex-husband won't let me go."

"Ugh," Rachel made an automatic sound of disgust. "No. Why are we suddenly talking about him?"

"I don't know." Juliet groaned. "It's being back in this environment. I keep expecting him to jump out from around every corner -"

"Like the child catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?"

"Oh my god." Juliet said with utter seriousness, because she found the comparison far too apt.

"Except the children are young, female med students?" Rachel elaborated.

"I hate you for saying that, but yes. I was going to say I keep expecting him to jump out from around every corner with an intern hanging from his dick."

"Ohh!" Rachel giggled. "That's a good one."

Juliet shook her head. "It's horrible."

"Yeah, but so is he."

"Anyway..." Juliet sighed. "I don't know what to do about Richard. I don't want him to keep hoping I'll change my mind, but there's no way to make it clear right now without sounding presumptuous. Like I _expect_ him to want me."

"Does he even know you have a boyfriend?"

Juliet winced. "When he asked me out in Los Angeles, I told him I was seeing someone. But he knows I moved here alone."

"Because he made all the housing arrangements..."

"It's just so many potentially awkward things at once. I just want to work."

"Don't worry about it, Jules. When he asks you out -"

"_If_." Juliet corrected.

"_When,_" Rachel stressed with a knowing smirk. "He asks you out, just make it clear that you're in a committed relationship. If he really is a nice guy, he'll understand."

Juliet nodded. It was the sensible thing to do.

"And if he's not," Rachel added. "He can go fuck himself."

Juliet chuckled. "I mean, if circumstances were completely different..."

"He's pretty hot." said Rachel, picking up on Juliet's implication right away.

"Not as hot as James." Juliet quickly added.

"Of course not!" Rachel agreed.

Juliet glanced at her sister, just long enough to seem mischievous. "You should go out with him." she suggested.

At that, Rachel made a stinky face. "Yeah, like I really want to go into that knowing I'm second choice. And that's assuming he'd even go for me, which is just...no."

"He did say he wants to show us the town."

"And you did promise James you wouldn't be alone with him."

Juliet pulled into the garage underneath their apartment complex, the one that Mittelos rented to temporary employees and patients that needed housing. They were neighbors now instead of roommates.

"I'm hoping it will be a big group thing." said Juliet. "Charlotte sort of manipulated him into taking the entire Biology department out to dinner."

Rachel sighed happily, if half-sarcastically. "I love your new job."

* * *

Around six o'clock in the evening, James convinced Miles to take a break for dinner. He also offered to pay, to make up for the botched interrogation earlier that day.

"Weinerschnitzel." Miles demanded immediately, and James had no argument there.

While Miles ordered for the both of them an amount of food that was sure to give them indigestion, James snuck away to a dark, quiet part of the parking lot and took out his phone.

On the other side of the country, nine o'clock Juliet time, she picked up his call. Before the first ring was over she was already smiling at the thought of hearing his voice.

"Hi." she greeted him, her voice soft and excited. All the stress of his day melted away for just a moment.

"Hey, baby."

He sounded so relieved. Even though he wasn't there to hold her, she still felt warmer talking to him.

"Sorry I didn't call earlier," said James. "We got a hot one today. Just broke away for a quick bite to eat."

"Dinner break, huh?" Juliet said. She knew that it meant they were nowhere near done for the day.

"Yeah, it's gonna be a late one. Gotta clean up a mistake."

"Aw, but James - you don't make mistakes."

James chuckled once, sadly. "Today I did."

Now he sounded upset with himself, really down. Juliet's heart felt heavier. She wanted to be there to comfort him somehow, even if it was just a back rub. But in the moment all she could do was listen.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I let Miles down." James put it simply. He didn't like talking too much about work details, especially when things weren't going his way. "And he wasn't even that mad at me, so now I feel extra bad."

"I'm sorry." Juliet said.

"What are you apologizing for?" he asked tenderly.

"I'm sorry I can't be there."

"Well," said James. "At this very moment. Miles is stuffing his face with corn dogs on my tab. We'll be fine. I'm just sorry we won't be able to have our usual night time chat."

"And here I was," Juliet said suggestively. "Ready to tell you all the things I'd do to your body if you were here..."

"Come on now, I'm in public." James said, though she could hear through the phone how it made him smile. One moment of imagining his dimples and she suddenly missed him so much that it hurt. "Are you in bed?" he asked.

"I'm _on _it." she said, a technicality. "I was reading."

"What are you wearing?" he asked, in spite of his warning.

Juliet grinned. She could see so clearly in her mind the smile on his face when he said it.

"You know the suit Anne Hathaway wears when she's Catwoman?" she asked.

James narrowed his eyes. "Yeah..."

"Yeah, not that." she clarified.

James chuckled. "We'll have to fix that one of these days."

"For now, I'm just wearing my normal PJ's."

"Wouldn't know what those look like." James said smugly. "You don't wear PJ's with me."

"What about you?" Juliet asked. "You keeping that gun in its holster?"

"That depends, which gun are we talkin' about?"

Miles had been waiting with the food on the other side of the parking lot, for as long as his lack of patience would allow. "Ford!" he shouted rudely. James turned with a mean scowl on his face and waved him toward the car.

"Do you need to go?" Juliet asked, having heard Miles' rude shout.

"Yeahhh..." James sighed, not ready to say goodbye. She may not have been wearing the cat suit, but that sexy kitten voice of hers was the only thing keeping him sane.

"I miss you." she said.

"Miss you more." James replied.

"Give Miles a big kiss for me."

"I will, right on the mouth."

Juliet giggled. "I love you."

"Love you too, baby."

Miles had his hands full of paper boats and a cardboard drink tray. When James got close to the car, Miles kicked the door impatiently, indicating that James had to unlock and open it for him.

"No phone sex for you." he said to James. In retaliation for his rude and childlike behavior, James took a few fries from the top of the pile of food and tossed them right at his partner's eye socket. "The fuck?!" Miles complained as he ducked his head. "I have no hands right now."

"Eat some of it!" James scolded him. "I thought you were hungry."

"I _did _eat some of it. This is the rest."

"Jesus, Straume."

James got into the driver's seat, finally acquiescing when Miles made no attempt to open the door on the passenger side. James leaned over and opened it from the inside, making sure to hit Miles in the side gut in the process.

"Okay!" Miles snapped as he quickly sat down. "We're both cranky. Here, eat a phallus."

James' stomach growled, and he took the trio of hot dogs from Miles without further complaint. At least for a few minutes. With a mouth full of processed meat, James gave Miles an exaggerated side-eyes glare.

"Next time you interrupt a phone call with Juliet, you get one of these dogs up the ass."

Miles loudly slurped the final sip of soda from his empty cup, knowing exactly how much the sound annoyed James. "You promise?" he asked when he was done.

"Quadruple-to-infinity, you little shit." said James. It made Miles smile.

* * *

Rachel sat with Juliet for a while after that, watching TV and chatting about their week. Hours later, when their yawns came frequently enough to make speech unintelligible, they laughed and admitted it was time for bed.

"No phone call?" Rachel asked on her way out, just realizing she'd had Juliet all to herself aside from the short phone call earlier that night.

Juliet shook her head. "He said he might be working really late. _Really_ late. Sounded like Miles caught a shitty case."

Rachel got a funny feeling at the mention of his name, but she didn't let it show. It was still their little secret. They hadn't been in contact all week. It felt strange, since they'd been chatting almost every day in the weeks before the move, but it followed the casual pattern of their non-relationship. Rachel was trying to keep her distance, in case Miles wanted it that way.

"You know how they are at work," said Juliet. "Always there for each other. Even if they bicker the whole time."

_I know, Miles told me all about it._ Rachel thought. She held her tongue, offering a quiet chuckle instead. She'd have to tell Juliet about hooking up with Miles eventually, Rachel knew that. Especially if these funny feelings kept happening. Right now she was more comfortable denying anything real had happened. It was always easier that way.

"Good night, li'l sis." she said. She gave Juliet a kiss on the cheek.

"Sleep tight." Juliet replied.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite!" they both called out to each other a few moments later, as Rachel walked a few doors down to her own apartment.

So Miles was probably having a shitty day. To text, or not to text? That was Rachel's question. It was two in the morning where she was, for their sakes she hoped they would have stopped working by now.

_Heard you're having a crap day - is it over yet?_

Rachel sat down on her bed and debated how long she should wait before going to sleep. Miles sent a reply before she was done deciding.

_FINALLY. _ it said. - _what are you doing up so late?_

_standing vigil with Juliet... jk! we were just watching some trash tv_

_cool cool. are the doctors treating you ok? I can break some legs..._

Rachel chuckled.

_Aw :) It's going great. _she typed. _Miss me yet?_

_No doubt. It's boring without you._

_You just miss the no-strings-attached sex._

_Well DUH. But I miss our talks too :) buuuddy._

_:) Did I ever tell you you're kind of cool?_

_Nope...I think your mouth was full last time I saw you_

Rachel narrowed her eyes at her phone. Before she could reply, another message came through from Miles.

_(I was implying that my penis was in your mouth)_

She hadn't expected any less from him. Laughing, Rachel sent her reply.

_WOW. Asshole :P_

_That was full too ;)_

_ok, now you're dreaming_

_jk, sorry_

_it's ok...you'll just have to make it up to me somehow. 0:)_

Miles had completely forgotten his shitty day. He was sitting on his couch, smiling at Rachel's flirty text and trying to think of a dirty reply when he heard a knock at the door. The scowl returned to his face. James was already back from his beer run and, in the quiet apartment, his video game paused, Miles could hear the bathroom sink faucet running. It didn't matter who was at the door. Whoever it was, it was a person, and Miles generally disliked those.

The sooner he opened the door and told them to go away, the sooner they could go back to unwinding. It was probably just a neighbor asking them to turn the subwoofer down. That's what Miles told himself as he tucked his phone away and stood up. Noise complaints didn't happen often - since most other people in the building had exciting lives that involved going out on Friday nights - but once in a while...

Without looking through the peep hole, Miles swung the door open. The sight that greeted him was far beyond his worst expectations for a visitor in the night.

Kate was standing on their doorstep, with a small duffel bag slung over her shoulder and a deceptively happy smile on her face. The smile faltered when she saw it was Miles opening the door.

_Well...at least I have the right address._ she seemed to be thinking.

"Hi, Miles." she managed to say. He was surprised she could get the words out without clenching her teeth. Even when things had been good between James and Kate, Kate and Miles had never been able to get along.

Miles had no words. Slowly, very slowly, he closed the door. He stared at her face as it disappeared, as door and jamb met each other. He was really hoping it was all just a bad hallucination brought on by stress, and that the apparition would be gone when he opened the door again.

Then, he realized: he didn't have to open the door again. If he left it closed, the effect would be the same. Kate would eventually wander away, right? His words from earlier in the day - _different situations can yield the same result _ - came back to him, and he almost laughed at how right he turned out to be.

James walked into the living room looking curious. "Who was it?"

Miles, who was still semi-frozen in confusion, turned to his roomie.

"...Mormons?"

Kate knocked again, three separate knocks far enough apart to sound sarcastic.

"Is James home?" she called through the door.

Miles stared at James, willing him not to hear the voice, or at least to not pay attention to it if Miles' psychic powers didn't work. Meanwhile, James' brow furrowed in confusion. Setting aside the fact that Miles was acting really weird - that was nothing new - what the hell was she doing at their door, this late on a Friday night? She didn't even live in LA anymore, at least as far as he knew, which was very little.

"Don't do it, man." Miles said as James walked toward him.

"Wouldja get outta the way?" James said in a hushed tone, gesturing toward the door. Miles raised his hands in surrender, or to keep them clean of whatever happened next, and backed off. James opened up, and Kate's expression transformed from one of annoyance to one that bordered on adoration.

"Hi." she said.

James made for a much more welcoming sight than his cranky roommate. No matter what had happened between them, there was a part of James that would not allow him to hate her. Despite the furrow in his brow, the obvious confusion and lack of invitation, the cold rejection she received from Miles was replaced by a softer sympathy in her ex-boyfriend's eyes. Still, he had to ask.

"...What are you doing here?"


	19. Timing

James quickly took in the sight on his doorstep, giving his ex's body a once-over. She was a chameleon, visually as well as emotionally, and he could tell a lot about what was going on in her life by the way she looked. She seemed happy, confident at least, and her clothes were new. The evidence suggested that things were going well for her.

James' eyes came to rest on the duffel bag on Kate's shoulder. That was the part that troubled him, apart from the overly sheepish smile.

"I need a place to stay." she said. And damn, she was really trying to work the innocent charm on him. Aside from the deep sympathy he felt for the things she'd been through in her life, James was immune to those charms. He knew her too well.

Miles, who had retreated to the couch, too horrified by her appearance to watch them converse, groaned loudly.

"Just for the night." she added, trying her hardest not to let her annoyance with Miles show. James tuned his roommate out, stuck on the fact that Kate was there at all, let alone asking a favor.

"We haven't exchanged so much as a text in six years." James reminded her. The look of scrutiny he gave her cut deep. "Why are you in town if you have nowhere to go?"

"The friends I'm visiting are out of town 'til tomorrow morning." she said, like it was no big deal.

Miles rolled his eyes. It was typical of her, he thought, very typical, to orchestrate a situation in which someone needed to help her, she had no other options, and turning her away would make the other person look like the bad guy.

"And I'm the one you decided to pop by and visit?" James asked.

Kate shifted the strap of the duffel bag, calling attention to it like it was heavy on her shoulder. "Everyone else I knew back then is gone, they all moved." She leaned against the door frame, growing uneasy at his lack of enthusiasm. "I thought we could catch up, you know?" She shrugged, and one side of her mouth turned up in a hopeful smile. "I didn't leave on a very good note."

Miles rolled his eyes so hard they almost fell out of his head. The heel of his left foot was bouncing on the carpet. "You didn't leave at all." he muttered. "He kicked you out." Though it occurred to him Kate must have been desperate, if she was willing to face Miles' open contempt just to see James again. Desperate, or crazy. Miles would never put the latter past Kate.

If Kate or James heard Miles' angry muttering, they didn't mention it. James watched Kate's face and thought of other questions he could ask. The problem was, he already knew the answer to all of them. Whatever he asked, she'd have some excuse ready. She would have made sure to make this her only option. After six years, she'd shown up at his door. She wasn't going to suffer the humiliation of being turned away.

Kate could see it in his eyes, he wanted so badly to believe that she had no ulterior motive.

James sighed with resignation. "Come on in," he said, stepping aside. "I'll grab you a beer or something from the fridge. We'll 'catch up.'" He said the last two words with sarcasm that did not go unnoticed by smirking Kate.

She crossed the threshold and took her bag past where Miles was sitting. While James went to the kitchen, Kate took a seat in the arm chair and fixed Miles with a look that would have seemed friendly to anyone else.

"Do you think we can play nice for one night?" Kate asked him. "For James?"

Miles was slouched down, touching his tender eye socket with his fingertips as if he was experiencing the beginnings of a headache. "At a certain point in the day," he said, still avoiding looking at her. "Around nine o'clock, when I had my supervisor on the phone, telling me I didn't have clearance to kick in the door to a warehouse - after three hours of waiting at said warehouse while the wizards back at the office apparently communicated with a fucking string and paper cups - and knowing that entering this warehouse was my only chance of ever clearing this fucked-from-the-get-go case, I asked myself: could this night get any worse?"

Miles finally looked at her, and Kate was hit with a wave of contempt. His question had been answered.

While Miles ranted, James listened from the kitchen. He knew he shouldn't hide behind the refrigerator like a little bitch, but he needed a moment to process what was happening here. Miles really was having the worst night ever. It wouldn't be long before Kate said something to set him off.

James strolled in before Miles could make his point. He tossed Kate a cold can of beer and turned to Miles. "The good thing about rock bottom?" Ford said to his partner. "The only way is up."

Miles stared up at him, making it quite obvious he was offended that James didn't have a can for him. Kate picked up on it right away.

"Here, take this one." she said. She stood up and brought it to Miles. "I don't like this kind anyway," she added, and turned to James with a flirty smile. "You know that."

"Well, it's all we got." James said in a flat voice, trying not to engage.

Kate walked toward the kitchen anyway, intending to look in the fridge herself. She didn't trust them either.

Once she was out of earshot, Miles stared right at James. James stared back, silently asking his friend what he really expected him to do with the situation he'd been given.

"Do I really have to say it?" Miles said under his breath. "She can't stay here, bud. She cannot stay here."

"I _know._" James hissed. "But what am I supposed to tell her? You heard what she said."

"She can sleep at the fucking bus station for all I care!" Miles whisper-yelled.

"Oh, come on..." James groused. They'd been to the local bus station recently - on police business - and he knew exactly why Miles suggested it.

"I'll pay for a motel." Miles said. "Out of my own pocket, I will pay for her to be anywhere other than our apartment tonight."

"You guys still don't clean this thing, do you?" Kate, oblivious to their intense discussion, called to them from the kitchen. It was just an attempt to make pleasant conversation, but Miles did not appreciate her teasing.

"She only comes to you when she's in trouble." Miles said to James.

"It's been six years." James reminded him, implying that maybe Kate had changed her ways. Even if things hadn't changed for Kate, they'd certainly changed for James. It wasn't going to be the same old routine.

"Your girlfriend is gone a week," said Miles. "Not eight days have passed and suddenly, _poof_, a succubus shows up at the door."

"Coulda been worse." James said sardonically. "She could've shown up any time in the past few months when Juliet was staying over. At least this way there's no-"

One of the phones on the coffee table vibrated loudly, interrupting whatever logic James was about to use to make the situation seem less horrible than Miles thought. James quickly realized it was an incoming call on his phone. A cute picture of Juliet was on the caller ID and suddenly James realized no logic would make the situation any better.

"Shit." he muttered.

Miles shook his head. He knew it wasn't his problem to deal with, but it seemed the night was getting worse for everyone.

What was he going to tell her? He didn't want to lie, and Detective Ford knew the omission of certain facts could be just as bad as lying. But it was too soon, and Juliet was too far away to start a discussion about an ex. _The only other one that mattered_...

His mind was storming with bad scenarios as he high-tailed it to his room, phone in hand. He pressed a button to answer the call, thinking he'd just pretend nothing was going on. It was almost midnight anyway. Not a good time to broach this subject. He could explain it tomorrow, nothing was going to happen anyway.

"What are you doin' up so late?" he asked in a caring tone, instead of saying hello. He was walking by the kitchen when Kate shouted.

"Seriously, where's the rest of the beer?" she said, loud enough for everyone to hear, including anyone who might have been on the other end of a phone call. "I have never known the two of you to run so low, it has to be here somewhere..."

_Well._ thought James, his stomach pitching. _Plan A is screwed._

There was silence on the line.

"...James?" Juliet said, hesitantly, as if she suddenly suspected she'd called the wrong number.

James got to his room, just a few seconds too late, and closed the door silently behind him.

"Right here, baby. What're you still doin' up?" he asked again. "Not that I mind hearing from you." he added quickly.

"I just wanted to say good night." she said. "And make sure you weren't still working."

She meant it as something sweet, but James could tell by the way she said it that something was wrong.

"Yeah, we got home a little while ago." said James. "Staying late didn't get us anywhere, but at least it's over."

There was another pause on her end. The tiny part of James that thought maybe Juliet hadn't heard anything finally believed that she had. He'd certainly given her an earful about his past experience with women. He'd told her those things to show her exactly how special she was to him, but it was their first week being separated by almost three thousand miles. Knowing his past couldn't be helping things.

In her bed, in Miami, Juliet's stomach was churning too. She didn't want to ask. She wanted to pretend she hadn't heard anything. She wished she hadn't decided to call at all, but she knew it would be worse for her if she ignored it.

"Who was that, asking for beer?" she asked, trying so hard to be casual about it.

_Don't. Assume._

"Oh, Miles has a friend over." James said, wincing not only at the lie but at how quickly and convincingly it came out of his mouth.

"Oh." Juliet's tone lightened. She was so ready to believe anything other than that lurking fear that James had never really been hers. That she'd lost him by leaving.

"Amazing, right?" said James. He was almost as relieved as she was. Except, to her ears, it sounded like he was relieved that Miles finally had some female company. It made her giggle.

Back in the kitchen, Kate settled on having the same beer as Miles and James, which really was all they had in the house. Miles stared at her as she returned to her seat across from him in the living room.

"There's a liquor store down the block," he said. "If you're that desperate."

Kate smiled, refusing to let him get the best of her. She still wasn't ready to give up on the possibility of Miles warming up to her.

"I just remember you guys being fully stocked all the time." she said, reminiscing like they were friends. "Ready to party at a moment's notice."

"We grew up." Miles said without humor.

His comment wiped the look of amusement off her face. His cold stare was too much, and she looked away. _We grew up_, he said, implying that she had not. Kate's defeat only lasted a moment. She supposed it was fair, Miles assuming she was there to wreak the worst havoc on their lives. All she could do was prove him wrong, even if it took some time and a lot of patience.

"Who was that on the phone?" she asked casually, glancing at Miles before she took a sip of beer.

Miles almost told her it was none of her business, but then figured telling her the truth would be worse.

"His girlfriend."

Kate nodded, hiding any real reaction with a calm look.

"She's a doctor." Miles continued. "Really big deal in the medical community."

Kate raised her eyebrows, and her mouth formed some hybrid of smile and grimace. "Cool." she said, the word acid on her tongue.

For the first time since she'd arrived, Miles actually felt a little better.

Juliet tried to tell James a little bit more about her day, but she yawned again and her voice failed her. James wanted nothing more in that moment than to take her in his arms and squeeze her so tight it would make her squeal.

"You should go to sleep." he told her. What he really wanted was to keep her on the phone forever and hide from the problem in his living room, but Juliet needed rest, and Miles needed rescue.

"Okay." Juliet agreed sleepily. "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"I'm free all day." James said. At least there was one reason to be happy about Miles' case getting flushed down the toilet.

"Maybe we can finally set up that video chat?" Juliet suggested.

"Miles said he doesn't want me jerkin' off all over his computer."

Juliet was so tired she almost sounded drunk when she giggled. "Tell him you'll clean up afterward."

James chuckled. "I'll get my own laptop."

Juliet sighed and checked her clock. "Alright. I'll say good night now."

"I love you, Juliet."

She curled up in her bed and smiled. That was her favorite thing to hear before bed. "Love you too." she said.

"Sweet dreams, baby."

"You too." she said, in that tired kitten voice. "Bye."

"Bye." James echoed. He waited until she ended the call...and then he waited some more. He wondered if he'd ever really be in the mood to catch Kate up on the last six years of his life. A long, hard day at work had nothing to do with it.

As if letting Miles down hadn't been bad enough, he'd felt the need to lie to the love of his life about an ex-girlfriend's random visit. He felt awful about the entire situation, but he had to remind himself that there would be a good time for full disclosure, and that would be when he could look her in the eye and reassure her that the past had nothing to do with the present, or their future together.

When James walked back to the living room, he observed Kate drinking her beer. There was something different about her now, compared to when she'd first come into the apartment. The cool, calm and collected Kate was gone, even though she was trying her hardest to keep up the facade. The way she sipped her beer, it was clear something was bothering her. There was a deep anger inside of her that sometimes she just couldn't hide. It was subtle, only observable if you'd seen both sides of her. The coldness had returned to her eyes, a hardness that blamed James for something that wasn't his fault.

She looked up at him and smiled.

"So...you have a girlfriend now?" she asked.

James immediately looked to Miles, who was wearing the same '_what did you expect me say?_' expression that James had given him earlier.

Yeah, it was going to be a long night.


	20. Confessions

The next morning, a still sleepy Juliet knocked on Rachel's door. They'd decided to start walking in the mornings before Juliet went into work, and before Rachel's treatment if she was going to have any that day. Rachel swore she felt better than she ever had in her life. Juliet assumed it was just the immediate reprieve from the more traditional treatments, which abused the healthy parts of her body as much as the sick parts.

"Aw," Rachel said when she saw her sister in new work out clothes. "Don't you look cute!"

"We have to fit in." Juliet deadpanned. "Everyone here is gorgeous."

"You know, they say that about LA," Rachel reminded her. "And it's really not true..."

"Well, it's certainly not true anymore, now that we're gone."

It was a beautiful day, and they both remarked on it as they started down their block. Juliet didn't want to make a big deal out of what had happened the previous night, since it had turned out to be nothing, but she still had to get it off her chest. It was still bothering her, deep down.

"Something weird happened last night." she began, unsure.

Rachel glanced at her sister. "After I left?"

Juliet nodded. "I called James, just to say good night. And I heard a woman's voice in the background."

Rachel's eyebrows rose slowly. James wouldn't dare, she thought. Not James.

"Whoever it was," Juliet continued. "She was asking for more beer or something. I swear to god, Rachel, I thought I was going to have a stroke."

"Who the hell was it?" Rachel asked, all ready to get fired up for Juliet. "You made him explain it, right?"

"It turned out to be nothing." Juliet assured her. "He said Miles had a friend over."

Outwardly, Rachel's only reaction was a calm nod. Inside, it felt like her heart suddenly turned into a heavy rock, which fell straight down out of her chest and hit the sidewalk with a dull crack. Much to her dismay, Miles having a female friend over was not 'nothing'. Sure, it made everything fine for Juliet and James. But for Rachel and Miles...

Except there was no 'Rachel and Miles.' They weren't a couple. They were just buddies that happened to fuck on occassion, and not anymore since she'd moved away. So why the hell did this news hurt so much?

With another jolt or realization, Rachel remembered the flirty texts they'd been sending. Flirty by their standards, at least. It would have been at the same time Juliet called James.

The immediate conclusion that Rachel came to was that she must not have been Miles' only 'buddy.' And replaced so soon? She suddenly felt a lot less special.

Juliet was looking at Rachel. She'd noticed the change come over her older sister.

"Rach?" she said gently. "You okay? We didn't overdo it, did we?"

Embarrassed, and wondering exactly how much time had elapsed since she'd become so lost in her thoughts, Rachel looked up and tried to smile convincingly.

"I'm fine." she said to Juliet. "Really. I just got a little distracted."

"Okay." Juliet said, still worried but willing to give Rachel the benefit of the doubt. Looking forward to the path ahead of them, Juliet kept walking. She didn't realize Rachel had stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wait." said Rachel. She'd just lied to Juliet's face about her feelings. Beyond feeling rejected by Miles, Rachel felt guilty for shutting Juliet out, just so she could hold on to the excitement of a dirty little secret. A secret that Miles apparently did not hold so dear to his heart.

Surprised, worried, a little confused, Juliet turned in place and looked at Rachel. Rachel hesitated, not sure where to start.

"I slept with Miles." she admitted slowly.

Juliet stared, and blinked. There was an excruciatingly long pause as Juliet processed the information being given to her.

"...You what?" she said calmly. It was so out of left field, she wanted to be sure she understood the words she was saying.

Rachel sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. This is what she was trying to avoid - making a big deal out of it, since it was never supposed to be one in the first place. Juliet knew then that she'd understood perfectly. Her jaw dropped, and then there was a smile taking over Juliet's features, one of those really excited ones that would probably lead to giggling and teasing.

"Are you serious?" Juliet asked, trying very hard to keep those giggles inside.

"Is it really so ridiculous?" Rachel countered defensively.

Juliet scoffed, still amused and shocked at this development. It wasn't the sex that had her floored, it was the fact that Rachel hadn't told her before now. "How long have you been keeping this from me?"

"Uhm..." Rachel put her hands on her waist and rolled her eyes up to look at the tops of the palm trees, as if trying to remember the first time.

Juliet scoffed again, truly amazed.

"Remember when we went to the pier in Santa Monica?"

"Rachel!" Juliet all but squealed.

Blushing slightly, Rachel's face was transformed by a sheepish smile. Juliet gasped slowly, remembering that was the night she and James had their talk. Miles had given Rachel a ride home and hadn't come back to the apartment until the next morning.

"Yep." Rachel confirmed, reading her sister's mind. Juliet shifted her weight to one leg and crossed her arms. She was blushing a bit too. Now that the shock had worn off, she felt insulted over being kept in the dark for so long.

"You were hooking up this whole time?"

"Not _all _the time, just..."

Juliet raised her eyebrows. _You better tell the whole truth now,_ they said.

"Okay," Rachel admitted. "It picked up a little at the end there..."

Juliet snorted, insult giving way to utter amusement once again. Rachel's eyes widened, giggles forming deep in her belly, and she covered her mouth with one hand as if realizing for the first time how shocking it would be for Juliet to hear about it now. Juliet shook her head and chuckled, smirking at her own obliviousness.

"I can't believe you never told me."

Rachel started walking, and pushed Juliet's lower back gently with one hand to get her turned around and going again too.

"You didn't suspect anything?" Rachel wondered, glancing at her with a soft smile.

"No clue whatsoever." said Juliet. She shook her head, thinking back on the last few weeks. Then it hit her. "God...I was really wrapped up with James, wasn't I?"

Rachel smiled again. "You still are." she said. Juliet looked like she wanted to apologize for it, but Rachel cut her off before she could begin. "You're in love! It's natural for the world around you to just...fade away."

Juliet glanced at her worriedly. "Was I neglecting you?"

"Jules, I'm not a child. I do have a life of my own, you know."

Juliet tsked, smacking Rachel's wrist lightly with the back of her hand. Rachel giggled.

"And it's not like Miles and I were dating or anything. We just started hanging out, as friends. And...found interesting ways to pass the time."

Juliet grinned. Now that she had time to process it, she thought it was kind of adorable.

"You two are a really good match." She looked at Rachel with a sly smile.

"Please don't say that." Rachel said with a dry tone.

"Why not?"

"For starters, it seems like Miles is over it."

"Ohh," Juliet slumped visibly as she walked, as the entire conversation - Rachel's reaction to Juliet's phone call story and everything after it - finally clicked in her mind. "Shit." she said, as if she'd ruined everything herself.

"It's nothing." Rachel assured her, but Juliet knew better.

"Did you want it to be something?"

Rachel stared down at the sidewalk passing under their feet. "No..." she said, even though she could feel the toes of her sneakers kicking the little rock that had been her heart a few minutes ago. "At least...I didn't think so." She forced a sarcastic, mirthless laugh. "Funny, I didn't want anything more, until I definitively couldn't have it."

Juliet sidled up closer, snaking her arm around Rachel's in a comforting gesture.

"It's just my jealous streak." said Rachel, trying to explain her emotions away. "It's not fair to expect him to give up on all other women just because we hooked up a few times." Rachel sighed quickly, impatient to get over these annoying feelings. "Feel free to interrupt me at any time, Jules. I sound like one of 'those' girls."

"We don't even know for sure Miles is hooking up with this mystery woman."

Rachel gave her a look. "Having a girl over on a Friday night? For drinks? I gave him the goods for a lot less than that."

Juliet laughed at her comment, but she wouldn't let her sister wallow so easily. "All James said is that Miles had a friend over. He didn't say they were 'gettin hot'n'heavy' or anything like that."

"Is that your James impression?" Rachel asked, highly amused.

Juliet grinned, and hugged Rachel's arm tighter. "You like?"

"Yeah, it was perfect."

Juliet chuckled, and they walked in silence for a while, with Juliet still holding on to Rachel's arm. She looked at her sister, whose thoughts seemed far away. Between her illness and her usual attitude toward relationships, it was rare for Rachel to let herself get down in the dumps over a guy. In a strange way, it gave Juliet some hope. Rachel really must have been feeling better physically, to let her heart slip away like that.

Miles was a pretty special guy, Juliet knew that. James would say he was 'special' in a different sense, but either way, he was definitely one of a kind. It was difficult for Juliet to imagine him being romantic...though, Rachel didn't much go for romance in the traditional sense. It made their moving away even more of a shame.

Juliet broke the silence with a question.

"How was the sex?"

Rachel looked at her sideways, and her mouth formed a smirk. She shook her head.

"Come on," Juliet cajoled her, wiggling her arm. "I told you about James..."

"It was good." Rachel stated simply. The way she smiled when she said it told Juliet a lot more. "It was great," she said. "It's the only time he ever shuts up."

Juliet laughed, and gave a sympathetic _aww_ as she tried to imagine Miles so distracted that he had nothing clever to say.

Rachel sighed melodramatically, and squeezed back on Juliet's arm. "Oh well, it's over now. Maybe I will ask Richard out, to get him off your back. Give him a taste of the other Carlson sister."

"He wouldn't know what to do with you." Juliet joked, worrying for Richard's safety.

Rachel's chuckle was sinister. "I'll break him in. He'll never be the same again."

"Be gentle," said Juliet. "I want him to stay sweet while I'm working here."

Rachel laughed and shook her head again. "This is going to be an interesting few months."

* * *

James felt like he hadn't slept at all.

He and Kate had managed to have a civilized conversation, even if most of her questions were thinly veiled attempts at proving his current girlfriend didn't actually mean that much to him. The idea that Juliet had moved so far away and expected him to behave seemed to tickle Kate. James had not seen the humor in it. Kate still didn't get that James had changed, that he could even have a healthy relationship with a woman in the first place, let alone a long distance one.

Kate had been the one to inspire a lot of that change. The experience of having his heart stomped all over - and he was man enough to admit that he'd stomped all over Kate's as well - was not one he had been keen on repeating.

Juliet changed him too - for the better. She'd finally gotten him to open up and let go of the past, because she'd been open to him, and ready for all the love he had to give. All Kate wanted, at least it seemed this way a lot of the time, was attention. As soon as she got it, she would look for something new. James had been her safety net, one that she did not take very good care of, expecting it to be there every time she fell no matter what.

Now her net was gone. She'd have to find a new one, or change her ways.

But that was the least of James' problems. He'd tossed and turned all night, not because he was worried about Kate - no, he was beyond falling for that trap - but because he'd told that one small lie to Juliet. And being the sweetheart she was, trusting him completely, she'd accepted it without question.

It was also bothering James that he'd included Miles in the lie. Not only would Miles be pissed, on principle, for being connected to Kate in any way, but James hadn't had the chance to tell Miles that he had a cover story to keep. Miles had gone to bed early, to get out of the living room and away from whatever conversation they were going to have.

James had a lot of explaining to do.

He glanced at his clock. It wasn't quite seven. Kate had promised to be out early. At this point she wanted to avoid Miles just as much as Miles wanted to avoid her. Since James was awake already, no chance of snoozing the morning away, he decided to go out to the living room and check to see if she was still there. As good as she was at showing up out of the blue, she was even better at sneaking off without warning.

When he walked out, he found her awake, dressed in the same clothes as the night before, folding up the blanket she'd borrowed. The awkwardness set in again when she caught sight of him hovering near the hallway, in old old t-shirt and plaid pajama pants. She looked at his face, judging him before he could judge her.

"You look like you got hit by a truck." she said.

Six years ago it would have been mean but playful. Now she just sounded bitter. It was made worse by James' total lack of response. Cruel banter had been their thing. There was always some silly insult to hurl at one another. Now he crossed his arms, leaned against the wall and watched her fold the blanket, and she realized again how much things had changed between them. Instead of regarding her with an exciting mix of anger and unrequited desire, he looked at her like he was concerned for her overall well being. It used to be so hot between them. All she had to do back then was flash that special smile, and look up at him through her eyelashes. It was the idea of _not _being objectified that offended Kate the most.

"You want coffee?" James asked.

"No," Kate tossed the folded blanket onto the couch. "Thanks. I'll grab some on the way."

"You sure? I'm gonna make some anyway..."

Kate smirked and tied her hair back with a band she pulled from her jeans pocket. She knew he was just offering to be polite.

"I'll be surprised if Miles doesn't burn this couch after I leave." said Kate. "I'm not gonna risk taking his special coffee."

James chuckled, the hint of a genuine smile forming on his mouth. "Well...aside from showing up unannounced, you were a decent houseguest."

Kate's lips formed a tight smile. The smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Sorry if I got mouthy last night." she said. "That's why I don't like that beer. It turns me into a bitch." She didn't give him a chance to agree before she continued. "And I'm sorry for showing up like I did. I just..."

"You didn't expect me to have other commitments."

Kate looked away, staring at a point beyond the spot on the carpet at which her eyes were actually pointed. She'd expected a lot of things. Nothing worth discussing, if she wasn't going to get them.

"I'm gonna go." she said, hefting the duffel bag onto her shoulder. She walked slowly toward the door, and stopped half way. This was usually the point at which one of them begged the other to stay and talk it out. She turned to James, who was still watching, reticent, from the end of the hallway. "I'll probably be at the usual place the next few nights, if you want to come have a drink with us." Kate smiled inwardly, listening to herself assume. "If the usual place is still there." she added.

It was a popular hang out for off-duty officers. Kate had become a regular while their lives were still tangled together.

"It's still there." said James. He let the comment hang there without making a commitment either way.

"At least some things never change." said Kate, with that sad half smile that was supposed to melt your heart. Or knock you back into that pile of quick sand you just got yourself out of. "I'll see you around, James."

"I'll see ya when I see ya." said James, somewhere between wistful and sarcastic. He still wasn't sure what to make of Kate, or her visit. All he knew was that he needed to talk to Juliet and straighten everything out. In the meantime, he'd give Kate a wide berth and let her sort the demons out on her own this time around.

Miles must have been awake already too; as soon as the door closed behind Kate, his bedroom door opened and he poked his head out.

"Is she gone?" he asked without a hint of humor, not even his pitch black or dry humor.

"Yep." James replied. He kept his back to Miles, still deep in thought.

Miles opened his door the rest of the way, and walked down the hall toward the kitchen. "Don't be sad, grandpa." he said, punching James on the shoulder as he passed. "Shunning her is the right thing to do."

James had to catch his balance; Miles packed some fury in his friendly punches. He sighed again, still tired, and remained leaning against the wall. Miles was rooting around in the fridge for whatever junk food was going to be his breakfast.

"It's not just Kate I'm worried about." said James.

"Well, you shouldn't be worried about her at all, so...what else could possibly be troubling you?"

James shifted uncomfortably. "...Juliet heard her voice over the phone."

The sound of fridge rummaging stopped abruptly.

"You're kidding." said Miles, mostly to the old carton of milk. "Right?" he called out as he stood up. "Tell me you're kidding."

James braced himself internally, his face a preemptive wince. "I told her you had a friend over."

Silence. Then the sound of the fridge softly closing. James couldn't hear Miles anymore so he turned around, and found his roommate standing right behind him.

"That is fucked up on so many levels." Miles began.

"Now, before you go all melodramatic on me-" James tried to interject.

"I don't even know where to begin." Miles talked over him.

"- I gotta point out that she really behaved herself this time."

"What did I tell you about letting her into our apartment?! Did you even check her bag?!"

"She's gone, Miles!" said James, waving his arm toward the door. "Never to return! And I made it more than clear there's no room in my life for her, whether she's in trouble or not." Some of the certainty left James' eyes as he tried to recall the conversation from the previous night. It had all been quite cold and distant, curt and defensive at times, but mostly just polite small talk. It was almost as if they hadn't talked at all. James had not stayed up much later than Miles.

A different thought entered Miles' mind then, distracting him from his basic intolerance of all things Kate.

"Shit!" Miles said suddenly, remembering a specific text he'd left unanswered.

"What is it now?" James furrowed his brow, and watched Miles go back to his bedroom to find his phone. Compared to the way Miles was acting now, Kate had been downright angelic.

Miles wandered back into the hallway, scowling worriedly at his phone. "If you told Juliet I had a friend over, then that's what she'll tell Rachel."

James hesitated, hoping that a short pause would help him understand what Miles was talking about. It didn't.

"So?" James demanded. "What does Rachel have to do with this?"

Miles glanced up at James. He didn't even have to say anything. James could tell by the sudden _'Who, me?' _look in Miles eyes that something was up. He'd let something slip. In turn, Miles could see the recognition in James' expression.

"Girls." said Miles. "They can't keep their mouths shut, you know?"

"What does it matter what Rachel thinks?" James asked, rephrasing the question. He beheld a very rare sight: Miles flustered and not sure how to explain himself. Miles reached up and scratched the back of his head, wincing at the prospect of coming clean after keeping his own secret from James for so long.

"I, uh..." Miles stammered. "I may have had sex with Rachel." he stated matter-of-factly.

James' eyes grew wide, as slowly as the disbelieving smile spread on his face.

"You and Rachel." said James.

"Me and Rachel." Miles nodded.

"Had sex." James repeated.

"We had sex." Miles confirmed. "Real casual like. When you guys weren't looking."

James narrowed his eyes. "You fuckin' with me, Straume?"

"Nope." Miles said stiffly. "Just with Rachel."

James stared hard at his partner's face. Miles was actually uncomfortable talking about it, so it had to be true. Even his jokes were half-hearted.

"Well I'll be god-fuckin-damned." James marvelled. "This is quite the Saturday morning revelation, Straume. Not a word to me, this whole entire time?"

Miles made a dismissive sound, and retreated toward the living room. "It wasn't a big deal." he said, dropping onto the couch. "Just for the past few weeks, before the move. We hooked up a few times."

"You get laid for the first time since -"

"Oh, come on." Miles complained before James could finish.

"And you didn't tell your bestest friend in the whole wide world?"

James followed him into the living room. Miles was slouching - hiding - on the couch, chin tucked against his chest, staring at the little screen of his phone. It was too late to answer Rachel's flirty message, and too early in the morning to start a new exchange. He ignored James, who was watching him with great amusement now that the secret was out.

"What's the big deal if it's 'no big deal'?" James asked, his tone gentle but clearly mocking his overly sensitive friend. "You got feelings for this chick?"

"Nah." Miles scrunched up his nose, trying to play it off. "We were just texting last night. Don't want her to think I had some random girl over at the same time."

"How sweet." James said sarcastically, a smug smile to go with it.

"You're gonna keep giving me shit about this, aren't you?" Miles asked, turning his eyes toward his friend as James sat in the chair opposite the couch.

"Remember all the shit you talked when I started dating Juliet?"

"I let you do unspeakable things, at unspeakable volumes, in a room adjacent to mine." Miles reminded him.

"And I got to hear about your severe emotional distress and mental anguish every god damn day of the week!" James countered.

Miles couldn't help but smile and chuckle at the memories.

James leaned back in his chair, folded his hands behind his head and watched Miles intently.

"You knock her up?"

Miles did not reply, but his facial muscles flattened into an obvious look of disapproval.

"See," James grinned, and pointed at Miles. "That's how I know you like her, you don't like me jokin' about her."

"Of course I like her, she's a good friend." said Miles, still playing it casual. Then, with one eyebrow raised, he said "I don't stick my dick in every girl I meet."

"Ooh!" James chuckled. "Ouch. Straumey, that hurts. And I'm a committed man now, those old days can't be used against me anymore."

"Yeeeah, well." Miles sighed. "We're still just friends, Rachel and I. Figured she'd need some space, with her new treatment and all."

"Looks like she got it." James said smugly.

Miles turned to look at him. "You're really gonna make that joke? When your girlfriend moved the same exact distance away from you?"

James chuckled once again.

"Oh man, you are loving this." said Miles, with the most sarcastic form of excitement.

"Sure am."

"It took your mind off lying to Juliet, at least."

The smug smile was wiped away by that comment.

"Ah, fuck." James muttered, getting up to find his own phone.

Miles would have stolen the smug smile and thrown it right back at James, but he was thinking the same thing. _Ah, fuck_. The girl he liked was on the other side of the country and he was worried what she might think of him having a 'friend' over. To tell Rachel the truth would be to blow his friend's cover. Partners were living alibis, no questions asked. It was just the first time Miles felt truly shitty about it.

To top it all off, there was the insult being added to the injury.

"Why did it have to be Kate?" Miles mumbled to himself.

As if waiting for the perfect cue, Rachel texted Miles as the words faded from his lips.

_Heard you were having fun without me ;) _

Miles chuckled sadly. Rachel would have loved to hear the whole Kate story, he thought. In that way people like to hear about school buses full of children being driven off of cliffs. They could have sat for hours, dishing and bitching together, just for kicks.

_No fun yet. _Miles reported. A truth to hide the lie. At least Rachel seemed to be fine with the idea. _I'll keep you appraised of the situation._ he added, to keep it light. They were friends, after all.


	21. James vs Kate

_**A/N:**__ I wasn't going to delve too much into the history of Skate. I was going to keep it vague. But then I started a Lost rewatch with __**karivalentina **__and we were analyzing Sawyer and Kate so deeply that this chapter sort of just __happened_. _I'm glad it did, and I hope you like this little flashback interlude, even though it is angsty. I hope you like it because it is angsty. As with the rest of the story, it is __**AU**__, but inspired greatly by the show's canon. So special thanks to Kari, she helped a lot with the last chapter and with this one!  
_

* * *

_James vs. Kate_

* * *

The first time James caught Kate with a tiny little bag of white powder, Kate smiled and told him it was confectionary sugar. They were strangers at a mutual friend's party, he was off duty, and she was far too cute to arrest. He let it go, and they didn't see each other again for a week.

After meeting again, they started seeing each other more often, but they didn't call it anything more than what it was. Kate had her own crazy life, she only came to James when she wanted a good time or a bed to sleep in. At first, James had no reason to complain. Then he started to have feelings for her, and that's when it all went wrong.

Kate wasn't faithful. But then she'd never made James a promise. The problem was that James wasn't allowed to see other girls. Any time he got close, every time he thought Kate was done with him and he found a one night stand, Kate would sniff it out and insert herself back into his life. She'd show up, asking James if he wanted to give it another chance. When Kate wanted to be sweet, she was the sweetest. When things were good between them, life almost felt normal. That's how it always started out. Much to Miles' dismay, James fell for it every time.

The second time James caught Kate with a not-so-tiny bag of white powder, she swore to him that it wasn't a problem. He reminded her he was a cop, and every time he let her get away with it she was putting his entire career at risk. That's when Kate made her first promise to James. She promised he would never catch her with cocaine again. She didn't promise that she'd stop having it.

The third time James caught Kate with an even bigger bag of white powder, he realized why it was so easy for her to hide her 'addiction.' She wasn't using; she was selling. She was only using James and his apartment as a safe place to go when things weren't going so well.

"This is how I make my money." she said, defiant as ever. "I'm not hurting anyone. You're the one breaking up families by putting people in jail."

That was the truth of it, from Kate's point of view. She hated cops, and she was using James to stick it to the ones who took her step-father away from her, the first man in her life that _didn't _beat her and her mom up when she was too young to understand what was happening. The cops hadn't done anything to save her from her real daddy, but once Step-Dad was caught with some harmless drugs he was gone from their lives forever.

It didn't matter how sweet or undestanding James was, or how many times he let her get away with it. Whatever he did to make up for the men in her past would not be enough. She wasn't ready to let it all go.

_It's not like she's doing it on purpose._ James would tell himself, over and over again. _She can't help what happened to her._

_It doesn't mean she has to hurt you._ Another voice inside of him would say, a voice that sounded strangely like his friend Miles. _You're living proof that you can make something better out of your life._

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" Kate would ask him. "I'm not your wife. I'm not your daughter."

It escalated into a screaming match and they didn't see each other for a while after that. James wasn't ready to be a father, figurative or not, and he sure as hell didn't aid and abet criminals in exchange for sex. He still couldn't bring himself to turn her in, but he didn't have to date her either.

"Daddy issues!" Miles would shout when Kate wasn't around. "Abort, abort!"

And that was always a big part of it, wasn't it? James was the authority figure, the one who felt an obligation to let Kate slink back into the house every time she threatened to run away forever. Who else was going to protect her, if he didn't? What would his own life have been like if his uncle had given up on him? But if James the cop was going to let her get away with dealing drugs, then James the boyfriend would let Kate get away with anything. Take advantage while you can, that was Kate's motto and she'd be the first to admit it.

He played the part of Kate's lost father figure a little too well sometimes. Kate eventually came back, claiming that she was done with drugs for good. During the brief period when Kate was actually living with him full time (or at least supposed to be), and committed to him as a girlfriend (or at least she said so), James got curious one day and checked her phone. It sure beeped a lot for a girl that wasn't dealing drugs anymore.

"It's just my friends." she said, the desperation in her voice matching the desperate motions she was making to get the phone out of his hands. He swatted her hands away, not thinking about the consequences. The messages on her phone were not about drugs. They were all from other men, texting her, calling her, saying things only James was supposed to say, in bed, behind closed doors.

"Give me the phone." she said, her voice hard and defensive. It didn't matter what was on it, James didn't own her. She grabbed for the phone again, and James clamped his free hand around her upper arm. He yanked her closer to him, hard enough to make her cry out. For a moment she panicked, the child in her recognizing the fury in his eyes. The look that soon took over her features was filled with so much pent up anger he almost forgot about what he'd seen on the phone. He didn't even see the first punch coming. She wrenched herself free and started hitting him and hitting him and he couldn't hit back. He guarded his face, taking Wayne's punishment for him so many years later, and Kate screamed at him with all the fury she had inside of her. She screamed for herself, and for her dead mother who'd never hit back, the mother whose only attempt at protecting her daughter was getting beaten up herself.

When she was finally through, sobbing too hard to have any power left in her punches, Kate left and slammed the door behind her. She left James sitting on the floor of his apartment, looking at his own shaking hands. His entire body was vibrating, like a tuning fork struck. He could finally hear the meaning of his place in Kate's life. He could hear Miles telling him not to be so rough with the suspect, and he could hear his own voice telling Miles he didn't have a problem, he wasn't angry, he wasn't taking out any frustrations.

James looked down at his shaking hands and thought maybe Kate was right. Maybe he was the bad guy. That's what the suspect said, just a teenager, sneering with bloody teeth at the police officer that had savagely punched him in the mouth just for calling them pigs. "_An angry cop is the bad guy."_

That was their lowest point. They both had things to be sorry for. Their frequent bickering and occassional blow out fights were no match for what had happened that day, and Kate stayed away for a long time.

Months later she showed up at his door with a black eye and a cheap brace on her left wrist. Her lip was trembling and she didn't get past the first two words before she was crying.

"I'm sorry." she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't say what for. Maybe she was sorry for hurting him. Maybe she was sorry she was ever born at all. It just broke his heart to see her crying like that, so lost and obviously alone. It always hurt more to be alone.

It lasted for a while that time, for too long, the cycle of keeping secrets and sorry, lies and sorry, cheating and sorry. James was not innocent. He slept with other girls. Those were the rules of the game - hurt me, I hurt you. Didn't matter who started it. Only that the cycle continued.

Kate never told him who gave her the black eye. His best guess was that, after kicking the shit out of him and leaving his apartment that day, she'd gone back to what was most familiar. He foolishly assumed that she'd stopped again once she came back into his life. It was easier not to ask questions when he was afraid of what the answers would be.

The last time James caught Kate with an entire brick of coke in her bag, it wasn't even about her breaking the law anymore. She'd lied to him so many times, used him so many times, expected him to do nothing about her bad habits so many times. It was the perfect excuse to let her go, the perfect symbol of what would always be between them.

"Get out." said James, without even a discussion on the matter. The brick was still in his hands and his vision was turning red.

"James, you don't understand." she said. It wasn't anger driving her words this time, but fear. He could see it, but there were too many lies between them. No trust. She was probably faking it this time. Wasn't she?

"If I ever see you again," James said slowly, anger seething between every word. "I'll arrest you."

Her protests were desperate. James was going to flush the coke down the toilet and send her away. She insisted that she really needed his help this time. _You might as well just kill me now, _she said. _Don't do this, _she pleaded.

_Don't be the guy that finally gives up on me,_ is what she meant.

When Miles came home that night, and James told him what happened, the entire apartment was filled with doubt. Miles didn't quite believe James was through with her, and James wasn't sure he'd done the right thing.

Miles gestured toward the brick that sat right on their coffee table, in the middle of their living room. "If I'd found that thing?" he said, dead serious. "I would have arrested her."

"I know." said James, gruff and even more serious than Miles. A big part of him wished that had happened. Part of him thought maybe that would have been the safest thing for her, to teach her the actual lesson. He was staring at the drugs, a symbol of the demon in his life, and he wondered if protecting Kate from the law had only been to protect himself from Kate. He couldn't help feeling like he'd betrayed her, no matter how wrong she was. He just couldn't take it anymore. She never belonged to him. And he no longer belonged to her.

For a year he didn't know if she was alive or dead. She wasn't in Los Angeles anymore, that much he knew. Then he started to hear stories about her from their mutual friends, friends he saw less and less of as the years went on. He was sure they passed stories about him on to Kate as well. She's a survivor, he reminded himself. Not his burden to carry anymore.

The demon was gone, but ghosts of the past still haunted him. James accepted an invitation to undergo counseling for his anger problems at work. Truly repentant, the sessions helped him a lot. The fate of his parents was not his fault, and the fate of his ex-girlfriend was not his responsibility.

Things kept looking up for James. He received commendations and promotions. He learned what it was like to have a light heart. Then, one day, James realized he was happy. There was no drama in his personal life, and his work was going well. All that was missing was someone to share it with. He'd had his eye on that cute blonde from the morgue for a while, but she seemed out of his league. He was more of a one night stand type of guy anyway. The less he saw of each woman the better - for their sakes, if not for James. All he had to do was remember a fraction of the grief Kate had given him, and he thought it was better to keep a distance.

Good thing he'd been in an optimistic mood the day he heard Juliet was quitting.


	22. Closure

James did not like to relive the past. He did not like to remember the low points of his life.

There was reminiscing about the Academy days. He had years worth of memories built up with Miles, both at work and at home. That was one thing.

And his childhood may have been a painful one, but he accepted it as a part of himself, as part of what made him. That was another thing.

This thing with Kate, whatever they'd had between them, was something else. It made James feel like the worst parts of him were just under the surface, waiting to break out or take over without so much as a warning.

At least, that had been the case until Juliet came along. James would be the first to admit Juliet turned him into a giant teddy bear, like there was no reason to be unhappy knowing that he'd get to see her at the end of the day.

Then Juliet was gone - not from his life, but that calming physical presence was far away in Miami, and suddenly Kate was at his door. Was it some kind of test? James thought he'd passed with flying colors, but a day later he still hadn't told Juliet the truth. This wasn't about telling her a white lie. It was about sharing his past with Juliet. His whole past, not just the parts he'd come to terms with and found easy to talk about.

James knew he was over Kate, but perhaps he wasn't over what had happened between them. It still hurt to think about - not just the breaking of his trust, but the things he'd done to hurt Kate in return. James needed closure, so he decided to go to their old haunt, to see if she was still up for that drink. In neutral territory, without Miles there to put them both on edge, they would be able to talk, and maybe share a few truths. No matter what, James was going to come clean with Juliet afterward. He hoped to make sense of it all before he did.

* * *

Juliet smiled when Rachel finally emerged from her apartment, ready for the dinner they were attending with Juliet's new coworkers. Rachel's hair was down, more styled than usual, and she was wearing one of the casual dresses she'd bought when they were out clothes shopping earlier in the day. Juliet wore a matching pattern, in a different color and a slightly different cut. It reminded her of the few times they dressed alike in high school.

"Do I look okay?" Rachel asked. She was obviously doubtful. Juliet looked at her like she was crazy for not being absolutely sure.

"You look really good, Rachel." said Juliet. "Very healthy. And very pretty."

"You're sweet." said Rachel, though she said it in a sarcastic tone as she locked her apartment door behind her. It had been a while since she felt the urge to dress up.

"I'm serious," Juliet insisted. She studied her sister's face as they walked along to Juliet's car. "You look so...vibrant."

"Compared to a few months ago?"

Juliet nodded. "You have your color back. And lots of energy."

"I hope it sticks." said Rachel, smiling genuinely.

"Me too. And you look really good in that dress, so stop worrying."

"It's not too...?" Rachel trailed off, not knowing which feature to choose first.

"It's not too anything," said Juliet. "You look great."

Rachel smiled, waiting at the passenger side door for Juliet to unlock the car. "So do you. Were you able to get ahold of Loverboy?"

"Not yet. Still playing phone tag."

Rachel could tell Juliet was trying to hide how much it bothered her, that she and James were no longer in constant communication. It was hard coordinating in different time zones, especially when they were both busy with demanding jobs.

"You guys just have to figure out the right rhythm." Rachel tried to comfort her. Juliet's nod and smile were distracted.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Richard spotted them at the host's stand and waved them over to a large table surrounded by smiling, happy scientists. Charlotte was there with her husband Daniel, who raised himself out of his chair just slightly when they came to sit down. Both sisters smiled and greeted those that they already knew, and waited patiently as they were introduced to everyone else.

Juliet recognized Danielle Rousseau right away, and even felt a bit starstruck in her presence. Mittelos had certainly assembled an impressive team of heavy hitters. Juliet still didn't see herself as one of them, but they always made it clear they were excited to have her around. She wondered if she'd ever get used to it.

"Dr. Burke." Danielle greeted her with a big, pretty smile and an elusive accent. "I have very much been looking forward to meeting you."

The two empty seats were between Danielle and Richard. Juliet used Danielle's warm greeting as the perfect excuse to take the seat next to her. Rachel smirked to herself as she sat on Juliet's right side, between Juliet and Richard.

"Glad you could make it." Richard said to Rachel, making eye contact when he smiled her way. He stood up when they got close, and helped pull Rachel's chair out. The part of Rachel that wanted to protect Juliet wanted Richard to be a total creep, to make it easier to hate him. But whenever he was around, he really was sweet to them both.

_Under any other circumstances…_ Rachel thought to herself. Hell, maybe Juliet was right. Maybe Rachel should go out with Richard, just to distract him and set the record straight about Juliet's availability. Maybe chatting Richard up in Juliet's place would help get Rachel's mind off of Miles too.

"I'm glad I was invited." Rachel replied. As she pulled her chair closer to the table, she glanced around at the other doctors sitting at their end of the table, and she smiled at the ones watching her. "I feel like I'm getting a peek into the inner circle." she joked.

"Well," Richard smiled, and glanced at the blonde man across the table from him. "It was supposed to be the biology department only, but some riffraff made its way in."

"Yeah, what's up with that, Richard?" Charlotte called out, eavesdropping from a few seats down. She threw a playful scowl at the intruders.

The blonde man across from Richard introduced himself as Goodwin Stanhope, from the chemistry department. He then leaned over so he could look down his side of the table at Charlotte. "Last time I checked," he said, "Dan was a physicist."

"But he's _my_ physicist." Charlotte replied with a pout. "You're just an interloper."

"None of the sciences exist in a total vacuum," the young woman next to Danielle interjected. In fact, when Juliet turned and smiled appreciatively at the girl, she looked _very_ young.

"They'd all be nothing without math." the girl added.

Danielle smiled proudly. "This is my daughter, Alex." she explained to Juliet. "Very wise for her age, no?"

"It's not surprising," said Juliet. "Considering who her mother is."

The other end of the table continued their playful bickering, despite the truth of Alex's statement.

"It's nice to meet you." Alex said, more privately to Juliet. They smiled at each other around Danielle.

"She's interning with us," said Danielle, "For college credit. Though I am convinced she already knows more than a private college could teach her."

"Okay, I'm not _that_ advanced, Mom." Alex protested, her teenage side showing through.

"She's too modest." Danielle said dismissively, another proud smile taking the edge off of her statement.

"Are you interested in math?" Juliet asked Alex.

The younger girl shrugged. "It's my best subject right now. I've also been considering bio. You know, following in my mother's foot steps." Alex smiled sheepishly and rolled her eyes.

Juliet rested her elbow on the table, and her chin in her hand. "Maybe you could be my assistant for a semester?"

Alex, in the middle of taking a sip of water, nearly choked at the idea. She managed to swallow what came through the straw and set her glass down. "Oh my god." she said, as she put a hand to her chest. "I would love that. Is that even allowed?"

"The position is usually reserved for grad students." Faraday piped up. "But we can always make exceptions."

Alex made a sound of excitement. "That would be so cool!"

"Alex!" Danielle chided her lovingly. "If I'd known you wanted to be an assistant -"

"Moo-oom, it's different..."

Juliet and Daniel chuckled at their exchange. Charlotte turned from her jovial competition with Goodwin and checked in on Juliet's end of the table with a bright smile. "How's this side of the table doing?" she asked.

Daniel placed his hands on the edge of the table, as if inspecting the structural integrity. Charlotte rolled her eyes preemptively.

"Seems to be holding up." Daniel said with a straight face. Alex snorted, appreciating his joke but also sympathizing with Charlotte and what she must have to deal with on a daily basis.

Charlotte squinted at Daniel, who maintained his blank expression. "You think you're so clever." she said.

"He is." said Danielle, smiling in the same motherly way she smiled at Alex.

"Thank you, Danielle." Daniel said as he bowed his head toward her.

"Don't encourage him!" Charlotte begged.

Charlotte leaned over to give her husband a kiss on the cheek. Daniel smiled bashfully, and the look he gave Charlotte when he turned to her made Juliet happy and sad at the same time.

Lately, everything in existence made Juliet think of James. It didn't help that Daniel and Charlotte seemed to be a perfect couple. Charlotte gave his lips a peck before he could protest, then turned to her menu with hungry eyes.

With perfect timing to rescue Juliet from her melancholy, Rachel gently tapped her elbow against Juliet's.

"You drinkin'?" older sister asked the younger.

Juliet eyed Rachel suspiciously. "Are _you_?" Juliet asked.

"I was thinking about it." Rachel said defensively. "Richard said it was okay."

Juliet recognized the look in Rachel's eye. She was being sarcastic in a way that no one except her sister would be able to detect.

"Oh," Juliet said in a lowered voice. "Well if _Richard_ says it's okay…"

Rachel giggled for the two of them, and held up a menu for both of them to look.

* * *

James spotted her at the bar as soon as he walked in. She was the only one drinking alone. To her credit, Kate didn't look lonely by herself. She wasn't sulking or giving off that "danger, do not approach" vibe she was so good at giving. She was just sitting, staring at her bottle of beer, pondering a few of life's biggest questions.

He sighed loudly as he approached, a prelude to one of his smart ass remarks.

"I used to drink alone, you know." he said. "It's a dangerous hobby."

Kate rolled her eyes and smirked without looking up from her drink.

"Miles let you drink alone?" she asked. "I'm shocked."

James smiled faintly at her joke. "You and Miles should have your own reality show."

Kate winced at the horrible idea. "God…" she muttered. "He's still just one big ball of hate, isn't he?"

"He's a porcupine, I'll give you that." said James. "But he's squishy on the inside, I promise."

"I can't believe you guys still live together." Kate chuckled.

"You find something that works, why change it?"

Kate was not enjoying James subtle intimations. Growing frustrated, Kate tipped her beer back and finished whatever was left inside. She signaled to the bartender for another. Meanwhile James sat beside her, waiting patiently for her to start a real conversation. After some uncomfortable silence, Kate turned to James, narrowing her eyes.

"Tell the truth." she said, acting serious. "This 'girlfriend' of yours is really Miles, isn't it?"

James chuckled through his nose and smirked.

"It would explain the jealousy." Kate said snidely just as the bartender set down her second drink.

"Ahh, Kate." James sighed. "You just don't know what it's like to have a true friend."

"One that's up your ass every minute of the day?" she asked.

"Someone who's got your back." James countered.

"That's why I don't keep friends, James." said Kate. "Enemies treat you nicer."

"Did we come here to bicker or did we come here to talk?" James asked, still patient but unwilling to engage in a petty back and forth about Miles, someone she was destined never to get along with.

Kate took a breath and put her head in her hands. "I'm sorry." she sighed at the bar. "Sorry." she murmured again as she sat up straight. "I thought this was going to be easier. But Miles presses every single one of my buttons, and you're sitting there, looking at me like I'm a child…"

"I'm sorry too." said James, trying to cool it on the whole parental stare thing. "I'm just trying to figure out why you're really here."

Kate smiled in spite of herself, at that side of James that was pure detective. Never trusting, always suspecting some deeper, hidden motive. There was always a _why_.

"I'm visiting old friends." Kate said yet again. She glanced at James, knowing exactly how lame an excuse it sounded. "They're not 'friends' like…dealers. They really are just old friends."

"Where are they?" James said, keeping his voice neutral.

"They're coming." Kate assured him. "I just got sick of window shopping after dark, so I came here early. Okay?"

"Alright." said James. It wasn't an accusation. He just knew there was always a lot more truth behind what Kate said out loud.

"_You're_ an old friend too." said Kate, matter-of-factly. "At least, I thought we could be friends."

A more vulnerable look appeared on her face with her next glance over at him. _It's been long enough, right? _she seemed to be asking.

"Is that really what you were expecting when you showed up at my place so late at night?"

Rebuffed, Kate turned back to her beer. He wasn't going to give her an inch. She smirked bitterly as she thought about his question. What had she really been expecting?

"I wasn't expecting you to have a girlfriend." she admitted.

James made a face like he couldn't really blame her. "That's fair." he said, reaching for some peanuts from the bowl on the bar. "What else?" he asked.

Ugh, was he really going to make her say it? Fine, thought Kate, if he needed to hear it plain and simple -

"I thought we'd fuck and I'd sleep in your bed." she said flatly. "And I'd be gone in the morning. No fights."

"Well." said James, cracking his first peanut. "I'm sorry to disappoint. But I gotta say, even if I didn't have a girlfriend, it probably wouldn't have turned out that way."

Kate raised her eyebrows and pressed her lips together, as a way of responding to his comment. It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but she couldn't say she was surprised. James ate a few more peanuts, waiting for Kate to speak. But she kept quiet.

"I talked to a shrink after you left." James told her. "Voluntarily, mind you. A police detective voluntarily chose to talk to a shrink."

"My mother always called me a disaster on two feet."

"I'm just sayin'," James sidestepped her pity party. "You left a lasting effect. The time for hopping into my bed was long, long ago."

"I get it." Kate said, getting prickly again. "You're a changed man."

"Hey." James said gently. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad. Alright?"

Kate nodded.

"I appreciate you coming to talk to me." said James. "And I heard what you said last night. We didn't part on the kindest terms."

"I came to apologize." Kate said suddenly, interrupting his train of thought. She looked him in the eye to gauge his reaction, which she would have described as curious and concerned. "I wanted to tell you I was really sorry for everything that happened between us. I just didn't know if I'd have the balls to go through with it when I saw you."

Finally there was respect in James' gaze. It helped Kate to continue explaining herself.

"I started thinking maybe you'd still be as lonely as I am, and there would be some kind of second chance. Because I've changed too, I swear. I have a normal job. I don't party anymore. I wanted to show you I turned out alright."

Kate let out a shaky breath, one she'd been holding ever since arriving in Los Angeles. James was truly impressed. Not only by her transformation, but also her newfound ability to tell the truth. What a relief it was for him to know she was doing alright. Not perfect, but on the right track.

"But…" Kate stammered. "Then, Miles answered the door."

James chuckled, an uncontrollable gut reaction. "I need a new butler."

Kate laughed a soft laugh, and sighed sarcastically. "No. You're right, he has your back. I'm just glad this little journey I'm on doesn't include seeking his forgiveness."

"You seeking mine?" James asked.

Kate shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt." she said. "I just wanted you to know, if there's anything you ever felt sorry for, you shouldn't. You tried to help me back then and all I knew how to do was sabotage."

"If it helps," said James. "I know I wasn't the greatest catch back then either."

"For me, you were." Kate said quickly, clearly uncomfortable admitting it out loud, but needing to say it all the same.

All those years, thinking he was one of the big villains in her life…it meant a lot to James, and came as a great relief, to know Kate felt that way. It sounded like Kate had been talking to someone too.

James had been ready for a long time, to let the past be the past and let go. He never thought he'd get this kind of closure with Kate. After establishing a strong relationship with Juliet, it felt like another piece of a nearly finished puzzle was falling into place.

"Well…" James said gently, humbled by the moment. "Let's call it a clean slate, then."

Kate's relief was palpable, but made visible only by the small smile she could muster while experiencing so many emotions at once. It seemed like it was taking all her strength not to cry in front of him. James did what he could to help, by calmly sipping his own beer and cracking a few more peanuts. There was a football game on the television behind the bar. They both watched without really seeing what was going on, in companionable silence, for a minute. James offered Kate a peanut, but she declined with a wry chuckle. She played with the paper label on her beer bottle while James watched quietly.

"So..." Kate broke the silence a few minutes later. "You're really in a long distance relationship with this little angel of yours?"

"Yup. Hard to believe, ain't it?"

Kate nodded slowly. She was beginning to wrap her head around the concept.

"Are you in love?" Kate asked, genuinely curious. She wanted to know if it was possible for people like them.

James smiled. "Hopelessly." he said, smile widening to a grin.

"Can I see a picture of her?"

James hesitated, but in the end he pulled his phone out of his pocket and found a nice picture of Juliet. His phone was full of them. Kate leaned closer, and studied the screen with a veiled facial expression. The picture had been taken somewhere outside, with the wind whipping her blonde hair all around her face. It looked like James had called her name while she was laughing, and she'd turned to the camera with a big grin. What exactly was it about this woman, Kate wondered, that turned James into such a serious and committed man? Somewhere deep inside, Kate knew James would have been just as committed to her, had she given him the chance.

"A blonde, huh?" Kate murmured. Her smirk was good-natured.

"You set the bar pretty high for brunettes, Freckles."

"You mean low." said Kate, too aware of the way her body tingled at the sound of his pet name for her.

"Nah." James said, taking a moment to stare at the picture of Juliet before he put his phone away. He turned to Kate afterward and had a twinkle in his eye. "Miles is the lowest I can go."

Kate's smile after that was the brightest it had been since her return to LA.

"Kate!" a voice called from the door of the small venue. Kate turned to look, and James glanced over his shoulder to see if he recognized her friends. They were strangers. It figured, Kate having a secret family of friends he'd never met or knew about. They seemed like normal folk, at least. And they looked very happy to see her.

Kate gestured at them to give her a minute.

"I'm gonna head out." said James. He stood up and left a few bucks on the bar for Kate's drink.

"So this is what a proper goodbye feels like?" she asked.

"I guess so." said James. He didn't know any better than she did.

"Thanks for listening." said Kate. "This really meant a lot to me."

"Me too." said James. "I'm glad you're doin' alright."

Kate tried to smile, but she was fighting tears again, and she had to press her lips together so she could hide it.

"You want my number?" Kate offered without shame. It was her last chance to keep in contact with him and she knew it.

James shook his head, regretful but resolute. "I don't think that would be wise." he said. He wanted to make a joke about how her name would appear right after Juliet's in his phone and how dangerous that would be, but Kate understood the real reasons already. No reason to rub it in.

"I guess I know where to find you." she said. James wasn't so changed after all. He had the same partner, the same apartment, and he still hung out at the same bar. He just had less baggage now.

"Be good." James told her. Kate nodded and watched him leave.

It was chilly outside the bar. James was grateful for the fresh air. It was surreal, to suddenly have closure regarding his relationship with Kate. If the two of them could do it, anyone could.

He was only a few steps away from the place when James found himself taking his phone out. He didn't remember making a conscious decision to do so. He just really wanted to hear Juliet's voice. He wanted to tell her about this huge thing that just happened to him.

It rang and rang, until he got her voicemail. He smiled when he heard her memo. He'd been there when she recorded it.

"Hey, baby." he said after the loud beep. "It's me. I was thinking about you. Wanted to hear your voice. You're probably still out with your new friends, but if you're up for it later I'd love to chat with you."

James stopped and leaned against the brick wall of the pub.

"I gotta tell you about something. Nothing bad, I promise. Just something I should have told you about a long time ago. I keep getting reminded of how much I love you, and I wanna make sure you know."

James stopped again and smiled inwardly, imagining Juliet getting his sappy message.

"I better hang up now, 'fore it cuts me off. I miss you, baby. I'll talk to you later."


End file.
